Invisible Girl
by Eternal-Explosionist
Summary: "Hero Rule #78: Even when you or your Hero Support are injured, the well being of the citizen comes first. No matter what." Lash snorted. "Screw that. I'll just be a villain or something." No way would some random citizen come before his Sidekick. Ever.
1. Chapter 1

_**Invisible Girl**_

**Chapter One**

The headphones pounded the beat into her head as she waited for the school bus to come on that oh-so-fated morning. Her head bopped to the tune, making her white blonde ponytail wave and her hands wielded imaginary drumsticks. She couldn't keep still. The simple task seemed near impossible. How could she possibly keep still when today was the day? The day she had been constantly fretting over for the first half of the year.

What day, you might ask? Why, the first day of the second semester of her senior year at Sky High. Still confused? The first day of the second semester of every student's senior year was a very important date. The cornerstone of their Hero lives. All the parents were coming to the school that day, to watch their children finally prove themselves after seven semesters of work.

Today was the day that the seniors showcased themselves in front of the whole school, and then at the close of the day would be the moment that everyone was dying to get to. The heroes and sidekicks would be chosen. They were chosen at this part of the year because then for all of the second semester they would train together and get to know one another's strengths and weaknesses. Then, when graduation came around the corner they would be ready to work together and fight against evil, teamwork process already worked out to the T. It would also be the time when their superhero/sidekick names would be chosen before receiving the diploma.

In short, today was a very big deal.

"_So, your heart of gold turned platinum too_," she sang under her breath. She closed her light blue eyes and turned her face upward, as if that would help her to remember how to breathe properly. Butterflies were having a fluttering frenzy in her stomach and she was so afraid that she was going to be sick. To be honest, she had halfway considered calling in sick and just receive her Hero notice in the mail. Though her mother would not go for that, not one bit.

There was an unmistakable screech as the bus neared, penetrating her music. The yellow, ordinary, plain bus rolled to a stop in front of her and the door opened, allowing her to see Ron Wilson, bus driver. He gave a friendly nod and she vaguely returned it, her body moving with an almost zombie-like stiffness. She took the open seat that allowed her the window and she took another shuddering breath. There was going to be no peace today. Especially, since she had no clue as to what Hero the teachers would match her with.

Yes, she was a Sidekick. No, she didn't mind. On the first day of Freshman year, Coach Boomer had called her up to the podium. In retrospect, she had earned the second ranked class for her lack of reaction.

_"Samantha Winchester!"_ She remembered jumping so bad when her name echoed throughout the gym. She had shakily made her way to the front where she tremored before the hero-enforced gym teacher.

_"Well? Show us your power,"_ he had sighed. Her throat constricted and she could only shake her head. At the time, she wasn't quite sure of her power. She had a vague idea, yes, but she still needed to refine it. The coach had tired of waiting and pushed a button, saying a word that made her blanch considerably, even today.

_"Car."_

Thankfully, her reflexes were decent and she had hit the floor flat just as the car came crashing down. Teary eyed and more than scared out of her mind, she army crawled out from under the junky vehicle.

_"Nothing?" _he had yawned. He checked his clipboard and sentenced her_. "Sidekick."_

She just nodded and scrambled off the stage as fast as she could.

The Sky High bus rolled to a stop again and she looked up to see who was coming aboard. A few freshmen, looking nervous along with a few sophomores and then a face she recognized came on. Warren Peace. The freshmen instantly got out of his way when he made his way to the back of the bus.

Sure, he was intimidating and hot headed, but she wouldn't mind being his Sidekick. It wasn't like he picked on Sidekicks like Lash and Speed did. More than once, she had been shoved against the locker walls or locked in the janitor's closet. They were two people out of her grade that she would not want to be paired with. But their class was fairly sized and the statistics were in her favor. There were more pros than cons, so it would be all right in the end. Still, she couldn't get the butterflies in her stomach to settle down. A feeling of dread continued to hang over her head.

* * *

"Sammy, come on!" whined Layla as she pulled the blonde down the hall. Sam laughed and trailed after her friend who refused to release her hand, slightly tugging on her striped sleeve. Dark blue and light blue stripes on her long sleeve shirt, half covered by a grey short sleeved zip hoodie and comfy jeans that were slightly faded. It was her favorite outfit.

"My hand, Layla! You're crushing it!" she fake struggled. The red head simply gave her a knowing look.

"I know you, Samantha Winchester. If I let go of your hand, you're going to go lock yourself in a classroom or something." A blush formed when the accusation hit its mark.

"Okay...you may know me a little too well," she muttered. Layla laughed again and pulled them around the corner, closer to the gymnasium.

"I don't see what you're so paranoid about. We have a good class of heroes to be paired with," said Layla. Sam rolled her eyes.

"You're so calm because everyone knows that you're going to be paired with Will Stronghold, not to mention you're a Hero yourself! Disguised as a Sidekick of all things," she reasoned. The plant girl gave her a stern look over her shoulder.

"Hey now, I hear your tone. No downgrading yourself today. We've got a showcase to do!" she cheered, making the shyer girl smile.

They entered the gym and Sam gasped lightly. The whole place was packed with people and small stages and podiums. Half the Senior class was performing at the moment. The Hero half specifically. The Heroes would go first, then the Sidekicks. So, this would be the time for everyone to scope out potential partners.

Layla immediately went over to Will's showcase, where he was lifting inhuman amounts of weights and flying. Sam sighed and rolled her eyes again as she started to wander about the showcase. There were lots of kids with crazy strengths and abilities but none really caught her eye. There was a flash of fire and she couldn't help that her gaze wandered over to Warren Peace's showcase.

He was wearing a black close fitting tank as his arms became alight with fire. Balls of flame were thrown with impressive accuracy at it's target, merging into fire whips that he wielded equally skillfully. A warm blush made it's way across her face. No, she wouldn't mind being his Sidekick at all. Before she had the chance to pluck up the courage to step closer, something soft wrapped around her middle and pulled her clean off her feet and away from the fire Hero.

"Thank you for coming today, ladies and gents. I am Lash, the ever extendable Hero!" Sam's face drained of her previous flush and she turned her wide eyes to see that what had grabbed her. Striped arms that continued to snake around her waist lowered her onto the Hero's showcase podium only made her heart beat faster in fear.

"I'd like you all to welcome my assistant, Samantha Winchester, who will help demonstrate my oh-so awesome power." The gathered crowd clapped politely while Sammy was close to hyperventilating. Blue eyes darted about, looking for the closest exit. Heck, she'd even jump off the stage if she had to. She saw someone gesture to her stripes and then to his. The realization hit her like a ton of bricks. They thought this was planned, the both of them wearing stripes and whatnot, the common factor tying them together. Oh no, she had to get out of there. And fast.

The black and white snake limb released her and she took the opportunity and flew down the stairs, trying to immerse herself in the crowd. She only made it so far before the arm snatched her again, weaving around her torso like a harness. It retracted and she was on the stage again.

"Can't escape me, for I can always reach them," narrated Lash. The crowd chuckled at his word play. The smaller girl struggled but the arm continued to extend and weave around her, almost like how a snake would strangle its prey. Heart pounding and mind working in overdrive, she opened her mouth and bit down on the closest black and white extension. He yelped and dropped her like a hot coal. The crowd laughed again and Lash forced a smile but sent her a stern look.

"What the hell?" he hissed. She gave him a look of bewilderment.

"What the hell? I should be saying that! You pulled me out for no reason! What the heck are you up to?" she whispered back. He flashed a smile for his audience that was starting to lose interest.

"Also, numerous weights can be lifted as well. My charming assistant would love to demonstrate, I'm sure." Sam sent him a wide eyed look but it didn't matter. The extensions wrapped around her knees and waist and lifted her as high as the gym would allow him. Her stomach felt woozy at the sight of the small gym floor that was too far away.

"Don't throw up, don't throw up," she chanted. It seemed like an eternity that she clung onto the ever striped arm, praying that he wouldn't drop her, just for his amusement. He would be the type to do it too.

"...for the final act..." she thought she heard him say. Her heart pounded and nearly stopped altogether when the arms started to unwind from her. It took a matter of seconds before they had returned to human length and she had nothing suspending her. A small scream passed her lips as she plummeted downward, arms flailing in attempt to try to slow her momentum.

Just before she hit the floor, the all to familiar black and white saved her with only an inch between her face and the stage floor to spare. She could dully hear the crowd clap as she was placed upright again, knees shaking and stomach more than uneasy. Lash smiled and bowed and she was unaware of her body moving on it's own. Her legs took one step, than another and finally her fist pulled back and it connected with his shoulder. He looked at her alarmed but she had already turned heel and vanished. Quite literally.

Samantha Winchester's power was that of invisibility. Over the course of the years, she had managed to grasp a hold of her power and even amplify it. She could turn invisible at will, it was very natural for her and she did so more than once to avoid conflicts and being called on in class. The next stage she spent her energy on learning was how to turn astral. Or fading, and then being completely intangible altogether.

She flew off the stage, invisible to the human eye and she phased through whatever solid object that stood in her way. It only took a moment for her to be securely locked in a bathroom stall, feet drawn up. Out of sight and out of mind.

* * *

Sammy could only hide for a short while because the Sidekick showcase was up next. Her nerves had settled somewhat and she practiced smiling in the bathroom mirror. She needed to reign in her confidence and completely wow the crowd. The better her show, the better her chances would be of getting paired with a strong (and hopefully nice) Hero.

"You can do this, Sammy," she told herself. "No one else even has anything close to your power. You're unique and everybody will want to know your strength." She flashed a smile as if she were on stage, turning her head this way and that. She took a loud breath and walked out of the bathroom with a stable confidence.

Her podium was about in the middle of the showcase, and she took her respectful place as the parents and teachers walked around and studied them all. Once a fair crowd was gathered she beamed her smile and started her introduction. Short, sweet and to the point.

"Hello everyone! I'm Samantha Winchester and I'm a Sidekick. So, to be honest, you probably haven't heard much about me. Or have seen me for that matter," she laughed. It was almost an unconscious effort for her to vanished and her excitement grew when the crowd gasped aloud.

She reappeared again and modeled for them, turning a full circle.

"So, now you see me." Her form flickered. "Now you kind of see me." She gave a wink and vanished altogether. "Now you don't." They clapped again and she smiled, revealing herself once more. She was in the middle of bowing modestly when there was a flash of stripes.

"Oh, you must be her assistant this time, aren't you dear?" asked someone's grandmother. Sam and Lash both locked gazes for a brief second and her stomach dropped completely. The Hero smirked.

"Of course, ma'am. I just didn't think that she'd be starting so early without me," he smiled. His legs stretched onto the stage and she took a shuffled step backwards. She couldn't help but shy away further from the lanky boy.

"So, what's next?" he asked, a fake smile on his face, purely for the parents and teachers. She eyed the wooden chair she had brought as a prop.

"Next, I was going to demonstrate how I can phase through solid objects," she explained softly. He raised his eyebrow in question.

"Phase?" he asked. She could feel her pride rise slightly when his face read honesty. An idea sparked and she took action.

"Here." She lead him to the front and center of the stage and turned to the audience again, smile returning. She might as well use him as he volunteered.

"Ladies and gentleman, allow me to show you the other aspect of my power." She clapped Lash on the back loudly. "My partner, Lash, is obviously solid. A simple fact for you to bear in mind for the next few moments." They chuckled softly while Lash only continued to give her a strange look.

The blonde stood at the back of the stage, directly behind the taller boy. Slowly, she stepped forward and just when she about to bump into him, the contact that she should've had blurred and she melted into his back and reappeared in front of him, separating from his body and becoming solid. The audience clapped loudly and she bowed. When she looked up to see Lash's expression her smile fell away when she saw that his face was frighteningly pale and he was swaying on the spot. It was kind of a side effect after she phased through people, only occasionally though as she tried not to do it so often.

"Sorry, folks. I need a quick breather before the next show," she laughed. They smiled and slowly began to disperse. Once enough of them were gone, she spun around to examine the boy.

"Are you all right?" she whispered. He nodded numbly and she sighed, leading him over to the edge of the stage to take a seat. She doubled back and grabbed her water bottle, taking a seat next to him and sighing again. There was a crack as she broke the seal and handed it to him. Both were unaware of Principal Powers jotting a few notes on her clipboard.

"Here you go." He held the bottle in his hand but didn't drink it. Her fair eyebrow quirked and she bumped his arm. "Go on. I don't want you to faint or something." Brown eyes sent her a look.

"I'm not going to _faint_," he snarked. She rolled her eyes. Back to normal. That sure was quick. She huffed and got to her feet, seeing as the next crowd had started to near.

"Whatever you say."

* * *

**REVIEW! Please, please, please! It's my first time publishing a Sky High fiction for the internet audience. I'm excited to get this out because I don't have a lot of time when I'm off work and whatnot, and I can't wait to hear from you guys again! Have a good day!**

**Side note: This was created well before I was properly introduced to Supernatural and now her name is ironically funny to me XD**


	2. Chapter 2

_**Invisible Girl**_

**Chapter Two**

Principal Powers called the gymnasium to attention and everyone began to fill the seats in front of the main stage. Sidekicks were on the left, Heroes were on the right and the parents and family were behind their respectful sides. Powers smiled as she looked at the crowd.

"Today's the day," she began. "The Heroes will be paired with their Hero Support and vice versa. I'm sure everyone's nervous and excited as are the teachers." Some of the parents chuckled. The principal pulled out a sheet of paper that every student eyed with an intense focus. Eyes boring into the blank underside as if trying to see through it. Though the students with X-ray vision could probably see it clearly.

"The first Hero is...William Stronghold with his super strength and flight ability." Commander and Jetstream clapped loudly, standing in their seats proudly. "And his Hero Support is Layla, and her skill of plants." There were cheers and whistles as the two students made their way onto the stage and stood behind Principal Powers.

A few more names were called and Sam's fretting only increased, tugging on her sleeve and fiddling with the fabric. The numbers that were in her favor were starting to dwindle and lessen. There were only a handful of them left and she thought she was going to be sick with worry. At least Warren was still left in the group, that gave her a spark of hope she clung to.

"The next Hero is Lash, with his extraordinary extending ability." His long legs stretched as he made it onto the stage in one step. "And his Hero Support is Samantha Winchester and her talent of invisibility." There was clapping but she didn't hear it. Her feet pulled her to the stage and she took her designated spot besides the tall boy, so small in his shadow. She could hear the smirk in his voice as he whispered to her.

"Well fancy that. We'll be seeing each other a lot more now. How fun." Her expression remained the same but her lip quivered and her complexion continued to pale. All it would require would be a thought, then she would vanish from sight. Just a brief thought would be all...

A hand touched her back and she flinched, looking up at the boy with wide eyes.

"No disappearing act," he whispered, not looking down at her. "Smile for them." A timid smile pulled at her lips as she looked out at the crowd, busying herself with locating her parents.

The list soon finished up and Warren had gotten paired off with a boy who was a tactician more than a fighter. Principal Powers gave a few more words and finally it ended. Parents and students flooded the gym floor, making it difficult for Sammy to see her parents in the giant mass. Someone grabbed her arm and she spun around to see a man and his wife smiling at her. Confused, she simply smiled back.

"Um, hello." The man clapped her shoulder, making her knees almost buckle.

"Excellent work, Samantha, absolutely excellent," congratulated the man. She blushed modestly, surprised by the praise. She couldn't quite remember whose parents they were, but she smiled anyway.

"Oh, thank you, sir." He chuckled and his wife stepped forward with a soft smile.

"You'll do great, honey," she reassured. "I think you and our boy will make quite the team." Her smile froze and stomach fell again. These were Lash's parents? She gave a weak nod.

"I sure do hope so." She gave a wave and ran off to her own parents at the other end of the gym.

Lash reached his parents in about two strides, vaguely noticing the white blonde hair dart away.

"Well, she seems nice," decided his mother as she straightened his shirt, unhappy with the slight wrinkle. Lash rolled his eyes.

"Yeah yeah, I guess we'll find out." His father tapped his back so that he would stand up at his full natural height..

"I expect you to do your best. It's your future." His lips formed a line.

"I guess so."

* * *

On any other day, Samantha could typically snag a window seat on her bus. Freshmen usually clustered together and the older classmen scattered about, leaving a few open seats on average. She sat about the middle and she knew that Warren sat near the back. Not that she would ever have the guts to maybe go sit by him. A girl could hope.

Her lovely Monday daze was rudely interrupted when her purple ear buds were plucked effortlessly from her. She looked up, startled and her heart skipped when she saw striped limbs stretching over shorter students and the empty seat beside her became filled with the Hero himself.

"Hey," she greeted softly.

"Hey," he gave a nod. "So, what're we suppose to do today? You should have a schedule." His left arm extended and snaked into her backpack, rustling around.

"Hey now!" she yelped. Sammy tried to snag her bag but his other arm kept her pushed against the window, unable to reach. His eyebrows furrowed as he pulled the bag into his lap, shoving things aside to look through to the bottom.

"Jeez, why do you have so much crap in here?" he grumbled. She wriggled and tried to get loose, huffing.

"Well, if you'd just-" she gave another twist, "-let me go, I'd get it myself." He looked from the full bag to her and then back again. After digging around some more he finally quit.

"Here." The bag landed in her lap with a plop and his stripes retracted. She sent him a look due to her now rumpled pages, but he either didn't notice or care. She pulled out a small purple spiral notebook and opened it to the bookmarked page.

"We have the Mad Science Lab first," she recited. "How was your grade in that class?"

Now that they were Hero and Sidekick, their studies would depend on each other. If he passed and she failed, they would bubble on an average C. But if he failed and she passed, they would both fail. Fair, right? Some of the older Hero theories were still in play. Yuck.

He shrugged. "It was my best class, if that's what you mean." Her hope rose and she smiled.

"That's great!" She turned back to the schedule. "It seems as if we have an extra long class with Coach Boomer though. I wonder what for?" When she looked up to gauge his expression she almost flinched when she saw that he was staring intently at her.

"Wh-what's up with you?" He tilted his head to the side slightly, still studying her.

"Hmm...you seem more like the printed type to me." Eyebrows rose in confusion. "Like stripes, dots, zigzags. That kind of stuff."

"What on earth are you talking about?" she asked. A smirked stretched across his face as he leaned down to whisper.

"I'm talking about what kind of panties you're most likely wearing." He pulled back and smiled. "Did I guess right?"

Before her face could reach the full capacity of her blushing ability, she vanished from sight. He laughed aloud while her face continued to flame, unseen.

"Well, that sure was easy." He leaned back fully into his side of the bus seat, content with his victory. "We're going to have _lots _of fun this semester."

Her face simply burned all the brighter while she bit back a groan. Why did they pair them together? Why, oh why?

* * *

As it turns out, Lash's grade in science was a solid D. Sammy's mouth fell open, appalled. She turned her light blue eyes to him, but he pushed his chair onto it's back two legs, nonchalant.

"You said that science was your best subject!" she chided. He quirked an eyebrow.

"It is. What's wrong with a D?" She continued to stare, shocked.

"Um, it's a D. That's what wrong with it." He rolled his brown eyes and huffed.

"Jeezus, you sound like my mother."

"Well, good grades are important! You need them to graduate!" He didn't appear to be listening and she huffed this time.

"Fine. You can stay on the five year plan. I'm graduating."

His smirk resurfaced. "Can't graduate without me, short stuff." She raised a challenging eyebrow.

"Sure I can."

"Sidekicks need a Hero to graduate."

"I'll be my own Hero. I can multitask."

"Oh, that'll look good on a cereal box. The schizophrenic Hero. Kids will love it."

"It could be a new marketing angle." He snorted, catching Mr. Medulla's attention. The large headed teacher turned a bored look their way.

"Keep it together you two. It's the first day of class. My lesson isn't so exciting that you need to laugh at it." He turned back to face the board while the rest of the class looked over their shoulders to look at them. Sammy saw that Warren was one of those who had turned just slightly to get a look and she disappeared for a moment. Lash huffed and his hand connected with her back, startling her into reappearing.

"Is this a normal thing for you? Just vanishing like that?" he asked. She shrugged.

"Kind of." He rolled his eyes.

"I hope Speed's having better luck with his Sidekick." Her lips formed a pout and she looked back towards the front of the class. Her foot sneaked ever so subtly under the lifted front leg of his chair and gave it a good lift, making the back support slide out from under him.

Medulla sighed and looked back to see Lash on the floor with his toppled chair next to him. Samantha was sitting properly and taking notes like she usually did. He simply shook his head and returned to his lesson. Oh the joys of newly acquired Heroes and Sidekicks.

* * *

Apparently, Coach Boomer was part gym teacher and part Hero team builder. Double the trouble in Sam's opinion.

"In this class, you will learn all aspects of your partner. Their strengths, and weaknesses. What makes them tick. What renders them helpless. What spurs their adrenaline. What makes them valuable." He gave his best stare down to the whole class that remained silent.

"So," his voice rose a notch, making it echo in the gym. "Today we'll be doing basic training. I'll pair some duos against each other with the usual Hero/Villain simulation. Now, who's first?"

Will and Layla started to move forward but the coach shook his head. "We all know what you guys can do. I want someone different to man up to the challenge." He scanned the group of kids and noticed that Samantha's form was starting to flicker out of focus as she tried to shy behind Lash, wanting to be looked over. Perfect.

"Lash and Samantha. You two can go first." Lash smirked and used his long limbs to reach the front of the gym in two strides, leaving Sam behind.

"Heroes or Villains?" asked Boomer. Before Sam could get her two cents in, Lash cut her off.

"Villains."

"Surprise." He looked back at the crowd. "Peace. You and your Sidekick can be the Heroes." Sammy's pulse picked up as Warren and his Sidekick, Tom, stepped up to the front as well. Lash and Warren stepped up to each other, giving the stare down which left her to size up Tom to see what kind of threat he was. He was about her height, thin build, with oversized glasses and his shirt was probably two sizes too big for him. He was a smart kid, that was his power and why he was a tactician. She couldn't remember really seeing him fight before.

"Well? Stop gawking at each other and go suit up!"

Sammy stood next to Lash, pulling on the edge of her light and dark blue striped sleeve.

"Nervous?" She nodded, making her white blonde ponytail bounce.

"Yeah. I've never been the Villain before." She swallowed thickly. "Or gone up against Warren Peace before."

"Please. It's no big deal. It'd be better if we had Speed, but I'm sure you'll figure it out. We just need to tag team Peace and we'll win."

"What about Tom? We can't ignore him. He's really smart," she warned. He snorted.

"I'll take care of that."

The large slate doors started to pull up like show curtains and they stepped into the arena. Coach Boomer was in his referee chair and the rest of the class was in the stands, ready to watch the fight unfold.

"Save. Your. Citizen!" declared Boomer. The doll fell from the ceiling, suspended by the rope precariously over the spinning blades of metal teeth.

"Help me," it vocalized. Really, a live citizen would be screaming bloody murder and trying to swing themselves out of danger's way. But whatever.

Lash immediately went after Tom, leaving Sammy out in the open. She swallowed with difficulty and turned to see Warren Peace charging at her, fire at the ready.

He and Lash were on the same Hero mindset. Take out the weakest link and then deal with the threat when it had no backup. It took a second for her to realize, but when the massive ball of fire was hurdling towards her face, she was struck with the fact that she was the weakest link.

* * *

**REVIEW! Not to bad of a wait I hope? I've drawn a fair bit of fanart for Lash and Sammy already, because they are just so cute. So, if I'm ever properly motivated I'll take pictures and upload them to DA.**

**Please review! I always love to hear from you guys! Next chapter: Sammy shows her skills!**


	3. Chapter 3

_**Invisible Girl**_

**Chapter Three**

The fire had almost grazed her nose when she turned half-ghost, still vaguely visible to the naked eye. Warren didn't give her a chance to gather her bearings as she almost flickered back to her solid state when he drew his flaming fist back. Letting out a small shriek, she went ghost completely, allowing him to fall through where she once stood. Stunned by the usual nauseous wave that occurred when she defied nature, she took the chance to get as far as possible.

Not thinking twice, she ran over to where Lash was to find cover, where he was busy hanging Tom off the lamp post by the back of his oversized shirt, while his glasses were on the floor, rendering him practically blind. That sure didn't take long. Tom was more of a study, someone who connected the strengths and weaknesses from the sidelines. Sadly, his physical traits still needed some work as he tried to wriggle himself free, blindly swiping his fists around, hoping to catch the bully.

"Come back and fight me like a man, you scalawag!" he jeered.

"I don't want to fight Warren!" she told him, giving a tug on his sleeve. "He's scary!" He jumped at her sudden voice, still invisible but he turned his head toward her general direction. Running feet could be heard as the Hero charged at the Villain, the taller boy oblivious.

"Man up. He's not that scary-" Before he could finish, Sammy had maintain her solid body and invisibility to shove Lash as hard as she could, making him topple over just in the nick of time. Since she had used all of her momentum to move the Hero, she didn't have enough of her balance to pull herself back up and out of the way or focus quick enough to revert back to being ghost. The inhumanly hot fist came and slammed into her shoulder, bringing her back into view and sending her flying off her feet with a yelp. She rolled to a stop a fair distance away and it seemed as if the whole gym fell silent. Even Lash and Warren seemed a little stunned.

Warren's dark eyes widened when he saw Samantha fly at his hit. He honestly thought he had just missed Lash, not that she had pushed him out of the way and in stayed within his range. To everyone's surprise, she was back on her feet relatively quickly and she disappeared again. Warren was shoved back with what felt like an improvisation football tackle. Lash took the chance and his arms stretched and tried to wrap around the fire boy's neck. He recovered his balance and took a deep breath in order for his entire being to be encased in fire, making Lash let go with a hiss.

"What do we do?" asked Sam, still out of sight. Lash didn't notice the slight hitch in her voice as he glared at the dark clad boy who was now making his way toward the helpless "citizen", still flaming and unapproachable. His face lit up as a thought struck him. He whispered quickly and after a slight pause, she agreed.

"We're not done yet, hot head!" yelled Lash. His striped arms raced out and knocked his feet clean out from under him. The timer was down to the final minute. Boomer had shortened the time frame for the rescue now that they were closer to becoming Heroes.

Warren tried to get up but an unseen person pushed him back down, the back of his head lightly bouncing against the floor. There was no indication that a person was there but he could distinctively feel two hands pushing against the P.E chest plate. The invisibility was starting to become a pain in the rear for the Hero and his distressed citizen.

"Please just stay down," she whispered. The voice was clear too, not muffled over or fading.

"No." She was the Villain, he was the Hero. He couldn't back down just because she asked nicely. He fought to get back up and he didn't hear her breath catch in her throat. She pushed him back down with extra force and his body almost convulsed when something entered his chest cavity, past the armor and even his own skin. Something was inside him, an unknown pressure but there was nothing physically touching him, the sense and weight of her hands had oddly vanished, yet not completely. But his heart was pounding against something, thumping against something physically solid. He could feel his chest tighten, trying to force out whatever was invading him. This time, he could hear someone almost gagging but he couldn't focus on it as the foriegn pain sizzled within him.

"Oh no..." she whispered. He didn't even hear her.

"Three...two..one..." The blonde doll fell into the death trap and its limbs popped out of socket on contact with the spinning metal blades. "Looks like you guys failed to save your citizen. Hit the showers." No sooner had the words been said, the doors slammed closed as Sam ran out unseen, the feeling leaving the quiet boy like a taunt string being suddenly cut.

Sammy had showered but she could not scrub out that feeling. The feeling of Warren Peace's heart beating against her palm. The recollection made her want to throw up again and she had to force the bile down. She sat down on one of the benches by the door only dressed in her pants and bra, wringing her hands in her shirt. Tears brimmed but she lifted her head up and willed them to fade as she sniffed again.

She could have killed him if she made one wrong move-

"Hey, you done yet?" Lash pushed the door opened and leaned against it, unabashed with the fact that he was standing in the girl's locker room or even the fact that she didn't have a shirt on.

"Come on, class is almost done. You've got the schedule right?" he asked, checking his phone with the flip of his wrist.

"Get out," she warned. He raised an eyebrow, not taking her seriously and scanned her exposed top with no shame whatsoever, the cellphone snapping close. Her emotions were so tangled she didn't even remember the decency to blush.

"Nice rack. C, maybe?" She got to her feet slowly, unsure of how to work her body for the moment. Her feet scuffed forward, almost as if they were asleep, the sharp pains shooting up her legs.

"You don't even want to know what happened? Why I ran? What happened to Warren?" she asked softly, as if she wanted him to be worried and to ask her what was wrong. He shrugged, still eyeing the ugly bruise that Peace had marred her shoulder with. She hardly noticed him staring at it.

"What do I care what happens to Peace? I thought you just wanted to get out of class. From what I could _see_, you just had him pinned. What's the big deal?" Her fists clenched. So, he couldn't connect the dots. Her jaw closed tightly as her tear guard fell, exposing the hot liquid as it rolled down her cheeks. Now Lash was starting to look worried. Tears were never good.

"What the hell are you crying over? Boo hoo, we were the Villains. We won. The end. It was no big deal." She shook her head.

"You don't get it, you don't know what I did!" He tried to step further into the locker room but she cut him off.

"Get out! Get out now!" He didn't move to get out like she had said and so she reached for her grey jacket and advanced toward him, using her striped shirt to halfway conceal herself.

"Get out!" He stumbled back into the hall as she continued to walk toward him, jacket a lethal weapon.

"What's your problem?" he yelled back. If there was anyone else in the hallway, they didn't notice or particularly care. She only shook her head again, unable to explain it properly. How could she possibly convey what it felt like to have a heart beat against her hand? The way that every pulse it made fit to the curvature of her palm perfectly? She just about gagged again.

"Just get out!"

"I'm already out, you psycho!" He finally turned tail and she took the chance and whipped her jacket, hitting him square in the back of the head. She hoped that the zipper scratched him.

"Get out! And don't you ever, _ever _ask me to do that again!" she screamed, volume cracking halfway though. He disappeared around the corner and she ran back into the locker room, slamming the door closed.

Warren stepped from behind a row of lockers, glancing back at where the scene had taken place. Originally, he was going to retrieve the watch he had left in his locker, but now he had witness something a bit more interesting. His hand absently rubbed his chest, where her hands had brushed his heart. He walked away with more than his share of thoughts to muse over.

* * *

Sammy was first on the bus at the close of the day and she picked out her window seat and tossed her backpack onto the open seat next to her, the international sign for no one to even try to take that seat. Other students loaded the bus and abide her rule, leaving her seat unoccupied. She brought her feet up onto the seat as her music played, successfully blocking out everything. Her inner turmoil about P.E class with Save the (stupid) Citizen and then Lash just being a jerk was still fresh to her, and rightly irritating.

Other students boarded the bus and avoided her seat, which was normal and also amplified by her backpack. She just wanted a quiet ride home, save her music. So, when someone moved her backpack she turned with the best glare she could conjure, but it fell away instantly when Warren Peace took the seat next to her. At first she blinked a few times to make sure that her eyes weren't playing a mean joke on her. Yep, it was him. Him, with his long dark hair and the faded red streaks that had always existed ever since she knew him, and the familiar thick leather jacket he sported every now and then. Sitting next to her like it was something they always did. She could only daydream such an adorable concept.

Immediately, she flashed invisible and scooted closer to the window, trying to shrink as small as possible without phasing out of the bus by accident. He quirked an eyebrow and placed his bag on the floor next to hers.

"Why do you do that? Vanish when I'm nearby," he asked, bluntly but not rude. Her cheeks pinked and she looked away even though he couldn't see her. She shifted awkwardly in her seat before giving a mumbled answer.

"I don't know...a kind of habit I guess?" He nodded in understanding.

"So what happened in Boomer's class, that was habit too?" She gasped sharply and flickered back her normal state, turned in her seat so to face him.

"Oh my god, I am so, so, _so _sorry about that!" she apologized, eyes misting over again. "That wasn't suppose to happen! Heck, I didn't even know that I could do that!" He chuckled and she allowed confusion to written across her face plainly. What did he find so funny? She almost killed him! That was not a laughing matter!

"It's not funny!" she told him.

"You're right," he agreed. "But I'm pretty lucky that you're the one with such a lethal power." This time she quirked an eyebrow.

"Lucky? It could've been a disaster!" Apparently, he was not as nearly as concerned as she was about the status of his heart in her hand.

He was cut off when she disappeared again just a stripe clad boy walked up the bus aisle. He spared Warren a look but the fire boy didn't even acknowledge him.

"That's odd, usually you're off skulking in the back, not here with the rest of us social folk," taunted Lash. His brown eyes noticed the purple messenger bag and a knowing smirk formed. Though he didn't say anything as he took the seat directly behind them. Warren looked back at Sammy's seat and she refused to become visible again. She still didn't want to hold any of his attention.

The flying bus landed and they came to the second bus stop, the silence still hanging in the air among the three students. Some kids made to get up, including Sam and Lash. Lash was faster by far and was up and out of the bus in record time and she caught a flash of purple hanging over his shoulder and she groaned. He had snagged her backpack, which gave her no choice but to follow him and take it back, her science assignment was in her folder.

"See you," she mumbled to Warren. He gave a brief nod in return.

She had to jog to catch up with the taller boy and she fell in step beside him, tired. All she wanted to do was go home, chat with her mom and maybe go for a jog later. And eat dinner, she was starving.

"Are you going to give me my bag back? I have homework to finish," she told him.

"Are you going to show yourself?" he asked back. "C'mon shorty, surely being invisible gets boring." She shrugged, not that he would see.

"Not really." She snatched her bag back and it vanished as she slung it over her shoulder. "It gives me ninja moments." As soon as she flickered back he raised an eyebrow.

"Really? Ninja moments?" he scoffed. "How old are you, five?" She gave a humored pout.

"It gets the job done." They made it down the first block in silence and she was tempted to play her ipod, but it would be kind of rude. Not that he would care.

He could only keep quiet for so long, seeing as he ruined the nice silence that had bubbled over.

"So, feel like explaining yet?" Eyebrows rose again and she decided to play innocent. She'd rather not relive it, in fact, she would like bury it deep in the back of her mind and lose the file forever and ever.

"Explain what?" She almost stilled completely when something flashed across his features. But when she blinked, it had vanished since he angled his face away.

"You know what." A patch of quiet had made itself known before she finally decided to confess. One of her incisors snagged her bottem lip to keep it from trembling.

"I had pinned him, like you saw, but then I had accidentally phased. Well, I kind of meant to, so to make him a little dizzy, but it didn't work out the way it was suppose to." Lash looked back at her, expression giving nothing away, still cool as usual. She stopped again.

"Yeah? Sooooo?" he encouraged. "What happened after that?"

A lump in her throat threatened to prevent her from answering, but she swallowed it. "I...didn't phase through like I should have. I touched his heart...could feel it beating..." Sammy didn't even care to notice how Lash was still on her same path home. She couldn't really recall if he was on her same bus stop. She always thought he was the next one over. Oh well.

"Hey, Sam-" By then she had vanished again and ran the rest of the way home. She didn't want to even see his face. The freak who could stop hearts. He sighed loudly, grey jacket still in hand.

"She'll want this thing sooner or later," he mumbled to himself as he walked the rest of the way home. He still had to help unpack and everything. No way where the movers going to screw with his stuff.

The door closed behind her as she ran into her house. Warm, safe and secure home. Her mom reminded her that she promised to take the casserole over to their new neighbors. She only nodded and made her way to her room where she landed on her soft bed, face down on her pillow, exhausted.

* * *

**REVIEW! I'm sooo tired, like you won't believe but I'm really loving this story and I've got scenes constructing themselves in my head as I work and listen to music =] Please please, I love your thoughts! I know it's short, but hey, I'm running on nothing long days and random sleep patterns =]**


	4. Chapter 4

_**Invisible Girl**_

**Chapter Four**

Sam's moments of peace melted away all too soon as a small timer rang from her phone, reminding her that it was time to go for her daily (or every other day if she felt like it) run. Sighing, she got back onto her feet, changing into navy shorts and white tanktop. She tugged on her running shoes and lightly stretched before walking outside.

Commotion was coming from next door and she curiously peeked over the white fence, standing on her tiptoes. Movers were busy moving furniture from the large van to the doorway, hoping to get it inside. A young boy was tugging a box free from the pile. He was maybe early teens with brown hair he wore tossled. She stiffened when he looked up and saw her. Smiling gently, she waved to which he returned the gesture. Plugging in her earbuds, she started her jog, music pounding throughout her head.

Sammy liked running. With music of course. Without her tunes it was a terrible chore, but with music, it was like she was somewhere else entirely. Depending on the song, she could be anywhere in any world. She tended to keep the beat up and fast paced, like in a chase scene from the movies or some dramatic action play. Sweat crawled down her back as she kept pace. When the music was loud, she could ignore how hard her breathing sounded and keep pushing herself. Run farther, run faster, just keep running.

She rounded the next block, her house in view. The movers were still busy, but there were less boxes out in the yard, which mean that they made progress. Good for them, they were kind of noisy anyway. She started to lip sync to her song, getting closer.

"_You and I are young, what makes it wrong for us to fall in love? And either way, we'll never change. We'll talk and touch the day away_," she whispered in between puffs. Nearly there, on the home stretch. Sure, she would have to either play a game of dodge the moving men or go all the way around the moving van and it's obstacles. Dodge the moving men it was.

Her shoes slapped against the sidewalk, her house drawing closer with each huff. The coast was clear so she continued to chug along. A shadow stretched behind her and she didn't see the stripe clad boy walking with a stack of boxes in his arms, the boxes blocking her from his view as well. He was humming to his own ipod anyway, oblivious to the jogging girl.

"_Now would hold me if I was crazy? Girl, I'm going crazy for you, I'm crazy for you. Let's waste away together. We can stay this way forever._"

* * *

"Sammy!" called her mom from the first floor. The blonde tossled her lightly damp hair as she leaned over the banister.

"Yeah?" she called back. Her mom raised an eyebrow in humor, hands on her hips.

"Just when did you plan to take over the casserole?" she teased.

"Crap!" she hissed, sprinting back to her room. Closing the book she was reading, she pulled on her shoes again. Next she looked around for her grey jacket, wanting to pull it over her striped long sleeved shirt, but she couldn't find it. Probably left it at school. Dangit. She had forgotten about the new neighbor's welcome treat. Well, that's what happens when the book's plot takes an exciting twist.

She rushed down the stairs, ruffling her hair again. Her mom, a slightly rounder woman with duller blonde hair than her own, handed her the still hot meal, a towel wrapping around the handles. She gave a pleasant smile. Sam gave a teenaged sigh.

"How come I have to take it over?" she asked with a light whine. "We should go over as a family, you know, a group effort?" Mrs. Winchester laughed, giving her a light push as the girl dragged her feet.

"Your father and I already did our welcoming piece when you were at school. Now it's your turn."

"Right, you took advantage of my absence and now you probably are offering me as some kind of sacrifice," dramatized Sam. "They probably like to eat attractive blonde girls." Her mom laughed again.

"Well, don't worry. There's boy your age there too, so maybe you two could chat." Sam whirled around, mouth open in horror.

"Don't tell me you're trying to hook me up with the neighbor's kid?" When her mother didn't say anything with a rather guilty expression on her face, she let out an exaggerated sigh. "M-o-m!"

"You don't have to stay and talk. Just introduce yourself, you big baby," she huffed, hand back to her hip. "He was very nice. I think you'll get along is all." Sammy huffed in return, resuming her dragging pace. She didn't see her mom's sneaky glint in her eyes.

"Fine, I'll go be a good human being. But if I'm not back by dinner you are well aware that they ate me!" she reminded, pointing an accusing finger while simultaneously holding the hot pan. Mrs. Winchester waved her on, not concerned.

"You'll be fine. No disappearing either."

The new neighbor's door wasn't nearly far enough, Samantha was standing on their porch within minutes of leaving her own house. Nerves twisted themselves into a knot in the pit of her stomach. Why was she even nervous? It was no big deal, just some new neighbors. At most they had some young teen boy. That's nothing to concern herself with. She took a deep breath. She would just smile, be as charming as she could then return home. That was all. Nothing more. God, she hated meeting new people.

The doorbell rang clearly when she pressed it, making her grimace. If the doorbell was at least broken she could return home, no foul. Now she had to wait the painful moments until someone answered the door. If she was lucky and no one came, she could just leave the pot on the porch and return home. Bonus.

Footsteps sounded and she took another breath. Keep calm and carry on. Stay calm and at least don't disappear. That would work for her. Hopefully.

The door opened and the younger boy from earlier answered it, studying her with brown eyes.

"Um, hi," she smiled. She held out her offering. "Um, welcome to our street?" He turned his head to the side so to call further into the house.

"Mom! Another casserole!" Sam was half tempted to pull the dish back to herself. Fine, if the punk didn't want it she'd take it back home.

More footsteps and she had to fight an eyeroll, she just wanted to walk back to her house. The lady came from the nearest hallway and smiled. Sam smiled back. The lady looked familiar but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

"Oh hello, Samantha!" she chirped. She stepped out onto the porch and thanked her for the casserole, handing it off to the boy who sighed and carried it to the kitchen, mumbling something about eating casseroles for a month. Brat.

"It's so nice to see you again!" the lady smiled. Sam smiled again, unsure what to say. She couldn't remember where she had seen the woman before. It was on the tip of her tongue but still out of reach, annoyingly close.

"You too...?" she played along. Just before their conversation could continue being awkwardly one sided, another set of footsteps came down from the staircase. She saw tennis shoes, dark jeans, a black sleeveless jacket, but most importantly, she saw stripes.

Instantly, she paled, color practically racing from her face. That's why the lady recognized her. Her world actually swayed for the moment while her heart pounded hard, echoing in her head.

"Dear? Are you all right?" the lady asked. The boy walked toward them, tossling his hair, not quite looking at her, his mother blocking her from view.

"Who's here?" he asked before yawning, like he was taking a nap. Brown eyes found her wide blue ones and he stilled as well. Though he regained his composure rather quickly, rising to his natural full height and leaning against the door frame beside his mother.

"Hey there, Sammy," he smirked. "So nice to meet the neighbors finally, right mom?" His mother smiled and patted his arm. She glanced between the two.

"Thank you again for the casserole," she thanked. Sammy managed a nod.

"N-no problem." Just as his mother turned to leave, Sammy turned and nearly flew down the porch steps. She didn't get far.

She could feel his hand wrap around the back of her belt, pulling her back to the porch like she weighed nothing. Which was a lie. She sighed and folded her arms, giving up.

"Yes?" she asked. He smirked, still holding onto her belt. She shoved some of her blonde hair out of her face, unsure and slightly worried. What was he up to?

"Were you really going to leave without saying good night?" he teased. "That's not very neighborly of you." She raised an eyebrow, confused.

"Riiiiight, neighborly," she answered slowly. She tried to step away but he held tight. "Um, are you going to let go of me?"

He gave a vague shrug. "Probably not."

"Well...could you?" she tried again.

"Nope." He leaned in close, his height making the action more of a looming motion. She tried to back up but no such luck. Her cheeks started to turn pink at their close proximity.

"What're you doing?" she asked, confused.

"Proving that you like me after all." He winked. "You quiet girls are always the most fun." Now her face flared red.

"What on earth are you talking about?" she yelped. A sort of victorious smile crossed his face, making her worry.

"You haven't vanished yet. Which means you're probably in love with me," he answered, as if he was all-knowing. "It's hard to resist my body, I know, but you and I should keep our relationship professional. Though we could hook up on the weekends and holidays-" His hand started to slip into her back pocket, to back up his idea. By this point, Sam vanished and stepped out of her solid state, his hand now grasping air as she ran back to her house. He laughed aloud, standing straight again.

"You love me, Samantha Winchester!" he called after her.

"When hell freezes over!" she called back. His eyes lit up at her spark and he laughed again. This was going to be so much fun.

* * *

Later that night, just when Sammy thought she was safe in her room, she turned to adjust her ipod dock. The curtains were open, allowing her to look directly at the neighbor's house. The old owners had that room across from hers had been used as a guest bedroom, so it was usually empty. Naturally, she didn't think anything of it.

She turned on her playlist, ready to start dancing when she saw movement on the other side. The opposite window then glowed with light and she curiously stepped forward. Lash then filled the windowpane, his back to her as he started to tug off his shirt. With a yelp, she yanked her curtain closed, sparing her eyes the view.

Great. This was just downright dandy.

* * *

**REVIEW! Yes, I know it's been ages since I've updated and I'm sorry for the crazy wait! But here it is and I hope to still here from you reviewers! The song is called "Young" by The Summer Set, it's a good tune if you're interested.**

**Hope you enjoyed the update! Sammy and Lash just keep getting better =P**

**p.s: Does Lash actually have a last name or do I get to make one up? lol**


	5. Chapter 5

_**Invisible Girl**_

**Chapter Five**

"_Whispers hello, I missed you quite terribly_," Sammy sang quietly as she waited at the bus stop. One hand in her pocket, the other holding the strap of her messenger bag. She yawned widely before closing her eyes as she waited patiently.

"I knew it," snickered Lash, coming up from behind. She kept her eyes closed, even though she could hear him through the music, the volume wasn't very loud. He stepped right up to her, his arm propping on her shoulder. Her knees buckled slightly under the weight and she crack an eye to give a small glare but closed it again, trying to resume her previous bliss.

"Only the weekend and a measly wooden fence kept us apart and yet you pine for me so. It's endearing, Sammy," he smirked. She opened her eyes and glanced his way with a brow raised.

"Quite a few good words there. I'm impressed," she teased back. It was morning, she was too tired to be worried about what kind of prank he would most likely commit at school. He seemed to brighten at her response.

"And the ghost has a sense of humor!" He gripped her shoulders, cheek to cheek as he looked to the horizon. "Now I have a whole new world of possibilities!"

"Fantastic." She tried to squirm away but he obviously didn't release her. Thankfully, the bus came to a stop and she stepped forward in order to board first. Ron Wilson, bus driver, nodded as she greeted a 'good morning'. Right away, she found her window seat and settled comfortably, bag on her lap. She tilted her head back and closed her eyes, ready to doze for a few more minutes.

Then someone dropped into the seat next to her. Her blonde brow furrowed in dislike, but she kept her eyes closed.

"Ah, Sammy, we were making progress with your conversational skills!" teased Lash, plucking one earbud from her ear. She sighed, determined to keep her eyes closed.

"Why don't you go sit with your friends and leave me in peace?" she asked.

"Oooooh." She could practically sense him smirking so she sighed again and opened her blue eyes in order to properly quirk a brow at him.

"What?" she asked. Yes, he was definitely smirking at her. "Why are you making that face?"

"You mean, "with Peace"," he said. She kept her brow raised.

"Sorry?" He leaned in close with the look of knowing written all over his face.

"You want me to," he explained, "leave you _with_ Peace. As in, bad haircut, bad temper, fire spewing, Warren Peace."

"Wh-what?" she yelped, face starting to burn. "That's not what I meant at all! I-"

"Mhmm, sure blondie, I know what you mean. You're trying to work your girl charm over on him," he mocked, wiggling his fingers in her face. She huffed and shoved his hand away.

"That's not what I meant at all! I meant for you to leave me be!" she exasperated.

"To leave you to be with Peace," he sneered. Sammy's face felt like it was on fire. For one, Lash was twisting her words, and for two, it was embarrassing because she actually did find Warren Peace attractive.

"You're a jerk," she huffed, looking out the window. The seatbelts crossed her chest as the bus got ready for take off.

"I'm your Hero," he stated.

"You're a bully," she countered. Some of the students were cheering as the bus took to the air while a few freshmen still screamed.

"You're a wimp."

"You're mean to others!" Their voices had to rise in order to be heard over the velocity of the bus cutting through the air.

"You're a push over!"

"You never have a kind thing to say!"

"Yeah, and why should I, blondie?" he snapped, tone sharper than he meant for it. She gaped at him, stunned and returned her gaze to the window, silent. Lash groaned in response, realizing that he just ticked off his Sidekick.

The rest of the bus ride was in sullen silence.

Once they landed on Sky High's grounds, Sammy turned invisible and phased through the bus to exit earlier, making Lash swear under his breath. Speed met him halfway across the courtyard. He raised a brow at his tall friend, seeing his obvious foul mood.

"What's up?" he asked. Lash shoved his hands in his pockets, taking his long strides up the stairs.

"It's the Sidekick," he grouched. Speed gave a laugh.

"The blonde one right?"

"Yeah, name's Sammy. Anyway, got into something of a fight on the bus." They reached their lockers, not before shoving over a couple of freshmen and tripping the janitor. Lash fiddled with his lock, cursing when it didn't open on the first, or second time. It clanged as he tossed the door open, throwing his bag inside and grabbing his first books.

"Ouch, what'd you fight about?" asked Speed, opening his locker in a much quieter manner. The tall boy shrugged.

"I don't even know, I was just teasing her," he answered, slamming the door. "Now she's mad."

"At least your sidekick talks to you, mine's some kind of spacey chick. Lost Save the Citizen because she didn't feel like fighting." Lash grimaced.

"Ah, that sucks, man."

"Tell me about it."

* * *

The city below was so quiet with its morning activities, peaceful even. High in the sky there was a man idly floating. His costume was solid black, gray highlights at his waist, gloves and boots. His black cape whipped in the wind, making the occasional cracking sound. His hair was stark white against his equally fair skin. Cold blue eyes regarded the city with a cynical glare. Slowly, he held his hand outstretched and to the naked eye, nothing happened. At first.

Suddenly, buildings were being pulled from their foundations, crumbling and flickering from sight, reappearing as confetti on the ground. He could hear the people screaming and he grinned, tossing a few of them into the air as well for good measure. Oh darn, most couldn't get back to their feet. What a shame.

He usually prefers a more personal approach so that he could mess with the human's mind a bit before he kills them. Then again, there were days like this one in particular, that just called for massive physical damage.

"Yes...scream for me..." he whispered aloud. His hand clenched in a fist and the ground erupted, pulling the city's remains into the giant crater that sucked in the entire circumference of the city.

One might wonder as to why The Phantom was in such a foul mood that day. Simple to say, that the news of an up and coming super-teen had the skills that rivaled his own had reached him earlier that day. After all these years, his creation was about to be released to the world. Now the time was drawing near to see where her loyalties would lie. With him, or with the Heroes.

* * *

"Ghost?" repeated Sammy. She looked down at the sheet of paper she held in her hand. Lash leaned back in his chair with the front legs lifted, hands behind his head, looking rather proud of himself. They were sitting together in what was known as "Team Building", or rather, learning how to work together without killing each other.

"Ghost? That's what you think my alias should be?" she asked incredulously. Lash nodded.

"Sure, better than me calling you 'Blondie' when we're out "saving the day" or whatever," he shrugged. Sammy huffed.

"Then your name should be something equally ridiculous, like...Stretchy, or Rubber Boy!" He raised a brow and smirked at her.

"Good thing Sidekicks don't get to pick Hero names. I was going for something like...Whiplash or something."

"Because being near you is a pain in the neck?" supplied Sammy innocently. Lash gave a perfectly fake smile before giving her ponytail a sharp tug.

"Ow!" she yelped, hands rushing to console her abused white blonde hair. "That's real mature, Stretchy."

"You know it, Ghostie," he smiled.

The teacher cleared her throat pointedly, indicating that the pair should really be working on their handouts, not pestering each other. Sammy had the decency to look embarrassed while Lash rolled his eyes. Taking a breath, the Sidekick smoothed out the worksheet on her binder which was sitting on her lap as the two were slightly angled toward each other.

"Okay, first question's for you: If your Hero Support is about to be incinerated by the villain's own Support, what would you do?" asked Sammy. The worksheet was role specific but all answers were printed so each side could see what their partner would be asked.

"Well, if you were dumb enough to be incinerated by the bad guy's goonies, then you've earned the right to be incinerated," he shrugged. He snapped his fingers, looking hopeful. "Hey! If you die, does that mean I get a Sidekick upgrade?"

Sammy stuck out her tongue, clearly showing her stance on the topic.

"I hope so. Anyway, for you: If your Hero was trapped in a situation that would render their power useless, how would you assist them?" Lash gave an unbecoming snort. "Please, as if _I_ would ever be rendered useless. You, definitely, but not me."

"Let's say the baddies trap you in some kind of sub-zero climate. Then there's high chances for hypothermia, for one option, but if you survive that all it would take," she sneakily slipped her foot under the lifted leg of the chair. "Would be one good hit." She flipped the chair, causing Lash long body to tumble and tangle ungracefully onto the floor.

"And then "Crack!" goes the Rubber Boy," she smiled sweetly. They shared an equal look before calling it even and the taller of the two crawled back onto his chair, his own leg extending and shoving Sammy and her chair to the other side of the room with satisfying speed. Luckily, the bell rang and the two bumbed shoulders as they turned in their work.

That night, the teacher graded that day's work, she gave Lash and Sammy's work full credit, happy with the result.

Lash Livingston,

If your Hero Support is about to be incinerated by the villain's own Support, what would you do?

_If my Hero Support was in danger of being incinerated, I would stretch and grab her so to pull her out of the way. Better to risk a burn than lose my Support._

Samantha Winchester,

If your Hero was trapped in a situation that would render their power useless, how would you assist them?

_If my Hero was trapped in a situation that rendered them useless, I would use my ability to make them intangible to transport them out of the area and get them away from whatever was stopping their power. First priority is always to protect the Hero._

* * *

**REVIEW! I know it's been forever and a day, but I hope you readers enjoy this chapter! I love writing Sammy and Lash's interactions with each other! Thanks!**


	6. Chapter 6

_**Invisible Girl**_

**Chapter Six**

"Oowwwww...I hurt so baaaaaaad," groaned Sammy as she found her usual bus seat. She slumped into the seat, entire body throbbing, her head particularly. She was pushed to her limits during the practice runs with the other Sidekicks. Not to mention that she took a particular swat to the head thanks to Layla's plants in the form of a tree branch. Competitive despite her dislike for violence.

"You hurt? I thought I was going to actually snap," countered Lash, dropping onto the open seat beside her. He whined as he tried to stretch his legs naturally, leaving them limp and as extended as he could on the bus. They leaned against each other, exhausted.

"Uughhhhh..." they chorused.

Coach Boomer had the Hero/Sidekick pairs work the circuit after lunch. The circuit was an obstacle course that could be specialized to each player or a general group of different levels. The gym was transformed into a new, dangerous field that required every ounce of power and attention. Sink holes, trap doors, trick springs. devices rigged to attack at certain times. In short, it was death on a gymnasium floor. Also, Boomer said that running the floor would become a normal Friday routine, so the rest of the week they could work on their weak areas that they find during the course. As every run is video recorded to act as review material for the teachers or the students themselves.

_Boomer had insisted that Lash made his way across the field without his feet leaving the starting line, forcing him to stretch farther and thinner than before as he had to weave through the obstacles, his fingers scraping past the finish line, just barely. Once cleared, he snapped back to his regular shape, taking a few moments for some hyper extended limbs to fully retract after Sammy helped collect the straggling lengths, gathered up in her arms so to escort the rest of her Hero to the sideline so the next Hero could make their run._

_"Ow! Owowowowowowowowwwwwww!" hissed Lash as he painfully retracted his arms, inch by inch. "I've never pulled that far!" he complained through clenched teeth. Sammy nodded, ponytail bopping._

_"I know," she answered. "Holding still would help, you know."_

_"Ever!"_

_"Mmhm, now hush," she quieted. She kept one hand under his retracting arm, the other on top, trying to rub some of the soreness away with firm but gentle pressure. Instead of retorting, for once Lash kept his mouth shut. Even though it would be far more entertaining to keep talking and maybe rile her up about her upcoming full field run that she would have tomorrow, but for the moment, it felt really good to have her hands on his excruciating arm_.

The belts crossed their chests as the bus started up so to take them home, to finally end their long day. Sammy let loose another sigh, eyes closed, and few beats later, her head slumped to the side, resting against Lash's shoulder. Finally, her headache was quiet.

"Hey, blondie, the heck you doing?" asked Lash. He looked down to see the steady rise and fall of her chest, lips parted so to allow easy breathing.

"Really? Sleeping on this bus?" He shook his head, swiping some brown hair out of his eyes. She didn't stir and he was too sore to move or care, so he left her there."You're one crazy kid, Sammy."

The ride home was pleasantly quiet and soon enough, their street was up next. Lash opened his eyes, having dozed off himself. He turned to his Sidekick.

"Hey, blondie, it's our stop," he said, shrugging his shoulder, jostling her awake. She grabbed her bag, looking around disoriented and startled.

"Huh? What is it?" she mumbled, confused. He shrugged again, bumping her. She looked up at him, eyebrow quirked. A bubble of silence passed before Ron Wilson, bus driver, said that they needed to get off as they were the last stop for the day. Lash was currently in the way of getting out of her seat.

"Well, up and at 'em, sunshine," suggested Sammy. He tried to lift his limbs, showing his clear strain. His arms and legs still felt like stone and he didn't want to even think about using his powers any time soon.

"A little help?" he asked. He could barely feel his legs, let alone move his entire body willingly. He could feel the heat creeping up the back of his neck. He hated himself for having to resort to asking for assistance.

"Seriously?" she asked, tilting her head to the side just slightly. He had to be kidding.

"Yes, _seriously_," he growled. "I sure as hell wouldn't ask you if I didn't have to and Speed's not here." Oh how he hated asking for any kind of help. Especially since he needed it. Without Sammy, he was most likely going to topple and have to slinky-toy his way home.

"Alright! Geez, don't bite my head off." Next thing he knew, she had his arm around her shoulder and was half hauling him off the bus. She said goodbye to Ron Wilson, bus driver, just before the door closed, leaving the duo on the sidewalk. She gave a small puff of air, blowing some short blonde hair out of her eyes.

"So, still feeling it?" she asked, half smiling up at him.

"Aw, can it Blondie, I know you're secretly enjoying this," he sneered, allowing more of his weight to fall on her, making her stagger. "My paaaiiiiinnnn!"

"Omph! The only pain I see is my own!" she retorted, trying to straighten. "You're heavy for someone so thin!"

"I believe the term is "lean", sweetheart," he corrected.

"Nope," she groaned. "Just heavy!"

They were quiet for most of the walk, so close to each other. Sammy's arm was around his waist to firmly support his weight, hand tucked into his side. His arm was around her shoulder, her other hand at his elbow, leaving the remainder of his arm draped over her front. An idea came to mind and a sly smile stretched across his face.

They were on the path up to his front door, almost there. He leaned a little bit into his Sidekick, making her slow down.

"Hey, thanks for hauling me, Blondie," he started. She raised a brow, looking up at him, surprised.

"Oh, um, no problem," she said. Well, that was nice of him to thank her. Almost odd.

He started to wiggle his fingers ever so slightly to make sure he still had feeling. He lowered his mouth down to her ear, breath warm against her as he whispered. Her cheeks warmed at their proximity. What was he doing so close? All she would have to do would be to turn her face toward him and she could just about kiss him.

"Allow me to show my appreciation..." His hand moved quickly despite the pain, fully grabbing her breast and giving it a tight squeeze, the softness filling his palm.

Instantly, she vanished and turned intangible, allowing Lash to fall to the ground, rolling onto his back, laughing in victory.

"You jerk!" she yelped.

"You love me Samantha Winchester!" he laughed. He could hear her huff and storm away, muttering under her breath as he continued to reap the benefits of his move. So worth the pain.

"Hahaha...ouch...A little help?" No answer. "Aw c'mon Sammy! Where's the love? Ow..."

* * *

All was dark and the air was bone chilling cold. Where was she? Sammy looked around, white blonde hair loose and flying about. She wrapped her arms around herself to keep warm. She took a few tentative steps, noticing that she was barefoot as well as in her blue pajamas. Was she dreaming? There were rolls of low white fog swirling around her legs as she moved.

"Aha, there you are," came a voice. Sammy jumped, spinning about to be face to face with a tall broad shoulder man. His white hair stood on end as if it was electrified while frigid blue eyes regarded her with interest. The girl shifted to a defensive position so to be on guard, though unsure. Who was he?

"It's been a very long time since I last saw you," he said, stepping closer. She backed away to keep the same distance between them.

"Who are you?" she asked. "I don't know you." He smirked down at her, pale skin almost glowing in the moonlight, black cape whipping to each side. Villain. He had to be some sort of villain.

"Of course you wouldn't remember me," he said nonchalantly. "So allow me to introduce myself." He gave a dramatic bow before taking her hand in his and bringing it to his lips, kissing the inside of her wrist. It burned with unimaginable cold and Sammy yanked her hand back, cradling it to her chest in pain.

"I am Phantom, Samantha Winchester. I am the one who gave you your power." Fair eyebrows furrowed as she stared at him, trying to work out the truth from his words.

"What?" she asked. "No you didn't. I don't even know who you really are."

In a flash, he was upon her with his hand around her throat, drawing her close. Clearly he was a menace, a threat, especially to her well being. She began to gag as his grip tightened, lifting her to her toes and then her feet were touching nothing, completely suspended. Her hands scraped at his own to try and loosen his hold, but to no avail.

"I am the one who blessed you with your power," he growled. "You will serve me as you belong to me."

"N-no...!" she managed. The blue eyes flashed red as his canines lengthened to increase in intimidation. She could feel his nails grow, puncturing her even through his gloves.

"You. Belong. To. Me." he claimed, voice guttural in sound. She swung her leg back and caught him in the leg. He gave a shout and lifted her higher before slamming her down.

She broke through the cold fog, falling. Once the white was gone she could see that she was still falling towards the city below. They had been standing above the clouds and now she was plummeting to her death...

She screamed.

* * *

Sammy bolted upright when she snapped out of her dream, drenched in a cold sweat and gasping for air. She looked around her room, jumpy. She was in her bed, tangled in the light blue comforter, her computer was on her desk where she left it, dance bag tossed over the chair, shoes on the floor, closet door closed. She was in her bedroom, in her house, not miles high in the sky.

Shaking, she reached over and turned on her lamp, bathing her room in a soft light. She tossed the covers off and made her way to her full length mirror. Leaning in close, she lifted her chin and gasped sharply when she could see the stark bruise of a hand around her throat. She placed her fingers to the mark and flinched at the tenderness. Now she was shaking violently from fear, grabbing the frame of the mirror to keep steady. She looked down when her wrist gave a painful throb, bringing it closer to eye level.

There was the imprint of a kiss against her wrist, pearl white against her own fair skin like a scar. She whimpered as her stomach filled with cold dread. She took a quick steps but stopped short at her door, hand on the knob. She couldn't talk to her parents about this, they weren't Heroes, she was the only one in her family with known powers. She needed to talk to another Hero or Sidekick, whatever their status, it didn't matter. She needed someone to know.

Turning heel, she went to her window and lifted it open, giving her a clear view of Lash's closed window. Yes, she was willing to confide in him. He was her Hero. He should know. Taking a beat to think of a strategy, she reached over to her bag and pulled out some loose change. Next, she took careful aim and sent one penny over in a gentle arch.

_Tap!_

She held her breath, waiting to see some sort of movement but after a few minutes, there was nothing. So she picked up another coin and tossed it again. For good measure, she threw another.

_Tap_!

_Tap_!

Now a small light was turned on and there was movement. Lash scuffed over to the window, yanking it open to stick his head out to see what punk was throwing things at him. It took another second for him to focus on her.

"What the hell, Blondie? It's three in the morning!" he stage whispered, not wanting to wake up anyone else in his house. Sammy continued to shake and she wasn't sure if she could talk properly yet. Instead, she pointed at him and then pointed beside her.

_Come here._

"What?" asked Lash. His hair was disheveled from sleeping and he wasn't wearing a shirt.

Sammy pointed the same way again.

_Come here._

He sighed. "Can this wait 'til tomorrow?" She shook her head immediately, blonde hair waving. She pointed beside her.

_Now._

He huffed, irritated. He was still sore from earlier, but not as bad as he could move on his own now. Still, he wasn't especially excited to use his power. He sent his arms across, hands gripping her window frame. Taking a breath, he pulled the rest of him over, sailing safely into her room.

"Now, what the hell is so important it can't wait?" he asked, grouchy. Now that he was close, he could hear her shaky breathing and see that her eyes were glassy with tears. His brow furrowed in what could be called concern. He stepped closer.

"Hey, what happened?" She lifted her chin, gesturing the dark bruise that encompassed her neck. Alarm bells went off as he stepped closer, bending down so to examine closely. His hands found her shoulders. He forgot how small she was to him, shorter and slighter in build.

"Sammy, what the hell happened?" he demanded. She hiccuped just before the tears started to fall and she explained her dream, Phantom, and then waking up with the same injuries. The bruise around her throat and the scar on her wrist. She hid her face, trying to smother her crying, knowing how weak she probably looked to the Hero.

Lash pulled her in close, taking a seat on the window's ledge and pulling her onto his lap so he could hold onto her properly. She buried her face in the crook of his neck and he could feel the tears slick against his skin, her breaths in quick bursts and catching every now and again. He held onto her tightly, to force the shaking away. They stayed together for a long time, neither one saying a word.

Lash Livingston was a renown bully, a terror to freshman, punk, most likely to become a villain, womanizer, and a delinquent who slacked off.

In that moment, cradling his injured and distressed Sidekick, he made a silent promise to her. That he would be her Hero, in every sense of the word.

_I'll be your Hero, Sammy. Only yours._

* * *

**REVIEW! Look at that! Another update from yours truly! Very exciting, and the plot is starting to roll! I'd say this was a very productive day indeed! Can't wait to hear from you readers!**

**Hope you enjoyed!**


	7. Chapter 7

_**Invisible Girl**_

**Chapter Seven**

"Hey Sammy!" called Layla, waving. Sammy quirked a brow. Usually, Layla sat with Will, which is why she always had the free seat and how Lash kept sitting next to her on the bus. Returning the smile, she took the aisle seat next to her friend, fiddling with the light spring scarf she had tied around her neck to hide the bruise, along with the cover up she had applied.

"Hey," greeted Sam. Layla smiled, red hair in some twisted bun hair style.

"Hey! How have you been?" she asked. The blonde nodded, feeling a twinge from the bruise.

"I've been good, how about you?" she returned. Layla smiled brightly.

"Oh, it's been just great! Working with Will and learning how to work as a team; it's all very exciting and new, and the extra classes we take are so interesting don't you think?" Sam laughed and agreed, mentioning that her particular favorite was their medical course.

They gossiped for a bit, going through the basic topics. Though Sammy had the feeling that the hippie had a certain topic she wanted to discuss, it felt like she was beating around the bush. She knew her friend well enough.

"So, how do you like working with Lash?"

Bingo. There it was. The million dollar question.

Sammy shrugged, thinking back to how it felt to have him hold her last night. Almost as if he was protective or maybe he just wanted to get her to stop crying. It could work either way. But that was the first time someone actually ever held her...

"Um, it's alright so far," she half answered. Her friend raised a red brow.

"Really? Because if he's mean or hurting you, just say something and I'm sure Principle Powers could do something-"

"No! It's okay, really," she laughed, so to reassure her. "Really. We're fine-Ow!"

The was a sharp pull on a lock of hair, making her turn in her seat to see Lash give a smile that could only mean trouble.

"What's this Blondie? Sitting next to the hippie and not me? You might hurt my feelings at this rate," he teased.

"Yes, because you are so charming to sit next to anyway. Why always with the hair pulling?" she asked, running her hand through her white blonde hair.

"Didn't want you to forget that I'm here, sweetheart," he mocked, giving another pull to emphasize his point.

"Wouldn't dream of it," she rolled her eyes with a laugh.

Her hair was down, noted Lash. It was wavy with curls near the ends as it reached past her shoulders. It was pretty, not that he would tell her or anything. But it was nice. She was wearing a light colored scarf to cover the nasty bruise most likely, since it was out of season for a turtleneck. It was springtime now, the weather was getting warmer.

The hippie continued talking, neverending it seemed in Lash's opinion, all the way until they reached school. As the students unloaded from the bus, Lash was sure to stand directly behind Sammy, in order to slip a piece of material into her hand. He could feel her eyes on him once they were in the courtyard, but he stretched, hands to the ground then feet until he reached Speed. Surely they could find a freshman who needed a swirly...

Sammy looked after Lash's retreating figure, moving like a slinky-toy to reach his fast friend, with a raised brow, confused. She looked down in her hand to see a fingerless black and white striped glove in her hand. Cautiously, she pulled it over her left hand and the length reached about halfway up her forearm, completely concealing the kiss scar. A small smile pulled at her mouth. She would have to thank him later. That was nice of him.

* * *

Sammy was in a Sidekick course, working on a worksheet to decide how to reflect a Heat Beam attack. That was when she was tapped on the shoulder. Confused, she looked over her shoulder to see a girl with wide sunglasses watching her. She has curled dark brown hair, red lipstick and Sammy could tell even while they were sitting, that the girl was taller than the blonde.

"You're Lash partner," she stated more than asked. Still confused, Sammy nodded, not wanting to attract Mr. Medulla's attention.

She was Amelia Watson. A quiet girl who kept to herself. A little spacey and odd, but a nice girl as far as Sammy was concerned. Though she couldn't recall her power for the life of her.

"Speed's mine. We'll see quite a bit of each other." Again, stated. Sam nodded.

"Oh, um, okay." Because Lash and Speed were friends, the bully tag team.

"We will be your next opponets in Save the Citizen. Just thought I'd introduce myself before beating you."

Amelia nodded once before returning to her own work, allowing Sammy to return to hers.

Odd. Very odd indeed.

* * *

"Hey, shortie, you gonna eat that?" asked Lash before stabbing the last chunk of her chicken sandwich Sammy had been eating, with her fork, but still in the process of eating nonetheless.

"Hey!" she yelped, attempting to shove him and rescue her food. He popped it into his mouth with a satisfied smirk, the victory his.

"Aw, c'mon, I was going to eat that," she pouted. She eyed the red apple on his tray that he still hadn't eaten yet and quickly snatched it, taking a large bite before putting it back in its place.

"Oh wow, you showed me, eating the _fruit_," he teased. She rolled her eyes, settling for sipping her diet soda.

Originally she was going to go sit with Layla, Will and the rest of the Sidekicks but she felt the now-familiar soft rope of Lash's arm wrap around and snag her away to the table he and Speed usually sat at. He didn't give any reason or explanation, he simply grabbed her pudding cup and took a seat.

Sammy started to twirl the straw when she remembered a particular thought, looking down at her gloved hand.

"Oh! Hey, Lash," she started, turning so to look up at her lanky Hero. He raised a brow, eating the rest of the apple.

"Yeah?"

"Um, thanks, you know," She raised her left hand, wiggling the fingers. "For the glove. Means-means a lot...to me, so...thanks-"

There was a quick burst of air and Speed was instantly in front of them, sitting with his lunch.

"Hey, what's up?" he greets with a head nod.

"Nothin' man. You?" answered Lash, blatantly ignoring Sammy's thank-you. The blonde's brow furrowed in confusion as she slowly turned back in her seat, resuming her straw twirling. She felt a sting, like her feelings had been hurt. Her form flickered for a moment, unconsciously, but she steadied herself to stay visible, avoiding the glances from the boys.

She flinched when she felt Lash's knee bump against her own, stealing a glance his way but he didn't return the look. More than a little confused and not really paying attention, she got up to go throw her trash away and to put her tray away, then her feet led her to her old Sidekick table where she was happily welcomed.

She found her old seat between Layla and Zack and they started to fill her in on the latest gossip. She nodded as she listened, and she could feel a casual smile forming. Magenta filled her in on how her shapeshifting was improving, Zack could amplify his glow to a blinding level and even isolate it to certain parts of his body like his hands. Layla showed off the recent promise ring that Will had gotten her, the couple blushing under the attention.

"Hey, did you hear?" asked Layla, tossing her red hair over her shoulder. Sammy raised a blonde brow, nibbling on some of Magenta's left over saltine crackers.

"Hear what?" Layla and Magenta exchanged a look before answering.

"Warren's Sidekick, Tom, left. Exchanged schools or moved, but the point is, he's not here anymore," explained Layla. Brows furrowed now, Sammy looked between the two girls.

"So, what does that mean? Solo Hero?" she asked.

Magenta gave a suggestive nudge. "Or maybe a Sidekick exchange?"

Right at that moment, Warren Peace took that opportunity to take the open seat across from Samantha Winchester, making direct eye contact.

"Hey," he greets. She nodded.

"Hey..." She could feel his eyes studying her as she looked back towards the rear of the cafeteria where Lash and Speed were still sitting. Lash didn't look over at her and she was finding it harder to breathe, especially since when she looked back to see that Warren was giving her one of those intense looks that he was secretly renown for. Not to mention that Will had told Layla, who instantly told her that the fire Hero had a soft spot for blondes. And with her long time infatuation that she hadn't really spent any time recently thinking about...

She stammered some excuse and got up from the table, form flickering again.

* * *

It was her free period and the gym was empty for the hour, only some of the basic lights on, leaving most of the room dim. The next class using the gymnasium was her own anyway.

Sammy walked out into the room awkwardly at first, tiptoe by tiptoe, afraid that she would get caught. Quietly, she set her books down and fished out her ipod. She slipped out of her tennis shoes so to be silent on her feet. Removing the headphones from her ipod, allowing it to shift to a speaker-mode. Taking a few moments to select a song, she got up and started to stretch a bit as the opening verse played. It was the song for her performance, she might as well practice it. It gave her something productive to do at least.

_You're in my arms, and all the world is calm, The music playing on for only two, So close together and when I'm with you, So close to feeling alive..._

Taking a breath, she stepped into her routine, footsteps now silent on the gym floor. The first few eight counts were simply enough, increasing in speed and complications as the song progressed.

_A life goes by, romantic dreams will stop, So I bid mine goodbye and never knew, So close was waiting, waiting here with you, And now forever I know, all that I wanted to hold you so close..._

She jumped into her particularly favorite leap, toes pointed, her back leg bent as if to meet her head as she leaned back, arms reaching behind. She landed on point before taking on her spins, heading snapping to her focus point, white blonde hair flying.

_So close to reaching that famous happy end. Almost believing this was not pretend. Now you're beside me, and look how far we've come. So far we are so close...  
_

Her last series of spins, tightly together and precise execution was required as her last spin released her into her final prep and leap, landing gracefully on one knee. Breathing hard, sweat beading her hairline. Fantastic, she could feel just how good that routine went for her. Perfect. Now if she could repeat that in front of a room full of people.

_Oh, how could I face the faceless days If I should lose you now? We're so close to reaching that famous happy end_.

Getting to her feet and making her way back to her belongings, she opened her mouth to sing the last line. Her voice echoed throughout the gym, ringing high to the roof and light.

"_And almost believing this was not pretend. Let's go on dreaming for we know we are So close, so close and still so far..."_

Lash watched from the gym's entrance, having originally followed his Sidekick since it was his free period as well. His striped arms were crossed over his chest as he observed her. Near white hair flying as she spun, her smile as she performed for an imaginary audience, oblivious to him. His expression remained calm, indifferent as watched, even though he was rather impressed.

As he turned to leave, he wondered vaguely what it would be like to dance with her...

There was the creaking of the gym door and Sammy spun about, startled and flashing invisible. She could have sworn that she saw the ever familiar stripe, but she couldn't be sure. Maybe it was just her subconscious wishfully thinking, because honestly, no one looks at the invisible girl...

* * *

**REVIEW! Love to hear your thoughts as always! Had a dream last night that involved Lash, Speed and Sky High, guess that was my brain's way at getting me back at this chapter! Or maybe it's a sign that I should stop eating pie before bed...Most likely both.**

**Hope you enjoyed!**


	8. Chapter 8

_**Invisible Girl**_

**Chapter Eight**

There was a slam as Lash's arm hit the locker, looming over and pinning Sammy between the locker wall and himself, his arm stationed over her head so that he could lean down toward her. She yelped, looking up at him with wide blue eyes, her books in her arms. He came out of nowhere!

"Ahh!" she yelped, obviously surprised. "Geez, you scared me!" she half laughed, hand over her pounding heart. He gave that smile, the one that meant usually that some kid was about to get shoved into a locker or closet or subject to some prank. So, easy to say it worried her. Not that the places he has ever pushed her, throughout the high school years, have ever held her long. She would simply phase through the door. In a roundabout way, it helped her practice her power.

It was quiet for a few moments, allowing Sammy the chance to fully look up into his face which was something she never did very often. Looking directly into someone's eyes. Near or around the vicinity, yes but direct eye contact, not so much. Brown eyes watched her, equally brown hair flopping in their way. Sammy's heart pounded, she had just stepped out of the dim gymnasium so her previous theory of Lash catching her dancing was seeming more and more likely. Did he see her? If he did...what did he think? Oh goodness, she wanted to know and yet she didn't, did she?

"Wh-what...are you doing?" she asked. He gave a slight shrug.

"Why? Does it bother you?" he smirked. He inclined his head ever so slightly to the side, as if listening for something. He smirked again and brought his face closer to hers, blue eyes rounding as her personal space was further invaded. He could see her simple light brown eyeshadow with their distance, something that never particularly stood out as it was not flashy or attention grabbing. Subtle, like her.

"I can hear how fast your heart is beating." Sammy's face flamed when his comment hit home. Her heart was racing, mostly because Lash was becoming notorious for invading her personal space, which was something she was not accustom to.

"You can not!" she retorted childishly, hugging her books to her chest.

"Oh really? I _am_ a Superhero, I could very well hear your heart pitter-pattering away," he teased. She raised a brow in defiance.

"Of course you can't because you hardly hear Mr. Medulla's speech in class, or our homework assignments, or even what they're serving for lunch! So, of course you can't hear my heart. Plus "Super" is a bit much," she explained. There. That ought to shut him up for a bit.

"And yet, you providing proof that I can't _really _hear that well only serves to prove that I'm _right_," he countered. Her face only flamed hotter. Guilty.

"Wh-what are you doing?" she asked, beyond confused. There was still a bit of time before P.E with Boomer, so she might as well ask. He shrugged again.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Blondie."

"This," she exasperated. "This-this being all...flirty or whatever it is you're doing, but then y-you go and ignore me when I'm trying to thank you, like at lunch today. I'm...I'm just confused, is all," she managed. Lash raised a brow and stepped closer, bodies now touching.

"What? This?" he asked. He gave a short laugh, brushing her red cheek. There was a pause before he brought his face to her level, her back flush against the locker wall. Her head was starting to spin, pulse pounding, and she couldn't quite remember how to properly breathe. What was he doing? She had an idea but she couldn't be sure-

Then Lash's mouth found hers.

She didn't dare breath or try to pull away, she was so stunned. He slowly pulled away, the sensation lingering on her lips, sending electrifying signals all the way to her toes and back up again. Her vision was starting to blur over. Warning bells were going off in her head.

"I'm just messing with you, Blondie," he answered, lips grazing hers as he spoke. "That's what I'm doing. Though I've got to say, most girls tend to fight back, kiss back or at least do something rather than imitate a human ice cube."

She couldn't breathe. Lash was clearly talking but she couldn't hear, her blood pounding in her ears. She couldn't...breathe...

"I...can't..."

"Believe it? Yeah, I have that effect on people." His voice was coming back but she only shook her head, hand clutching the material over her chest.

"Breathe...I-I...can't..." she wheezed. Her vision was fading fast and she grabbed for Lash's arms to stay steady as her knees started to give out.

"Lash...!" she begged, panic evident. "Help...!"

Then it was all gone.

* * *

Lash sat outside the Nurse's office, head held in his hands.

Idiot. Stupid. Jerk. Asshole. Bully. Idiot. Stupid. Jerk. Asshole. Bully. He was so freakin' stupid-

There was a quick burst of air as Speed skidded to a stop, hat backwards as usual. He raised his hands up, confusion obvious.

"Man, what the heck happened? You and Sammy blow off P.E with Boomer so we had to challenge Stronghold and the hippie at Save the Citizen! What gives?" he asked. "And why are you at the nurse's office? You don't look sick."

"It's not me, it's Blondie," he sighed, getting back to his feet. "So who won?" He gave his friend the look that clearly said that his response was not a good enough answer.

"Okay? Annnnd?" He sighed and tugged his friend over to the side, away from the nurse's doorway. "Stronghold won," he grumbled.

"Fine. You know how after lunch I left with Penny?" Lash started. Speed nodded.

"Yeah?"

_Penny made her way over to Speed and Lash's lunch table shortly after Sammy left to go sit with her friends. Penny had only one other doppleganger with her, in the same orange cheerleader uniform, some of her lower stomach showing, skirt short as usual._

_"Hey," she greeted, taking a seat on either side of him. They vaguely acknowledged Speed's polite greeting, brown eyes focused on the tall boy, shimmer eyeshadow glinting._

_"Hey," said one._

_"You wanna get out of here?" finished the other. Their body languages were clearly suggestive in some sexual stimulation, which Lash had no problem in agreeing to. He checked across the cafeteria to see Sammy leaving as well. He shrugged._

_"Why not?" he smirked. They each took a hand and led him away from his friend, extra swing in her hips._

_It only took a few minutes before they found their usual abandoned store closet. Their actions were automatic, required no flowery words or even actual emotions. It was just basic animalistic instincts. Attractive male and attractive female drawn to each other's sexuality. Their hands roamed, his and both sets of hers slipped under his shirt, into his waistband while their lips remain busy and all but locked with each other-_

Speed waved his hands, disrupting the story. "Alright, alright you and Penny made out. What's that have to do with Sammy?" he asked.

"Well, Penny had on this strawberry lip gloss," added Lash.

"So?"

"So...I ran into Blondie later and I was just teasing her, y'know like I usually do-"

"Yeah, I know. You tease her a lot. You like her," shrugged Speed, like it was common knowledge and no big deal. Lash's expression read confused by his friend's statement, but he continued on.

"Sure, whatever. Anyway, I was teasing her and I may have, sort of, kind of kissed her," he finished lamely, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

"And? What, she fainted or something? Finish the story, man," instructed Speed arms crossed over his broad chest. Lash huffed and scuffed his shoe, avoiding eye contact.

"So, it turns out that Blondie's allergic to strawberries." Speed's brow furrowed in concern.

"Like how allergic?" he asked carefully.

Lash sighed again. "Like could-have-died allergic."

"You can't be serious," said Speed in disbelief. Lash pointed to the office over his shoulder.

"Pretty serious. Had to carry her here, she dropped almost instantly." Not quite instantly, he recalled. Just barely long enough to beg for his help, oblivious to his attempt at being an asshole to her. He just wanted to rile her up, that's all. He was just teasing. He was always just teasing her. It was normal, their banter. Comfortable.

Speed slugged him in the shoulder rather painfully. Lash grabbed his arm, nearly staggering.

"Ow! The fuck?" he yelped. Speed stepped up to his best friend, voice serious.

"I hope this gives you a good enough reason to stop screwing around with Penny now. Because one, she's a shallow skank who is instantly distracted by anything that could possibly show her reflection. And two, you should keep your focus on Sammy for now. She's your Sidekick, your partner, your Support."

"Come on, you can't read me the rights! You've told me a dozen times how strange your Sidekick is!" defended Lash, rubbing his now sore arm. Damn, he could hit.

Speed gave a shrug. "So what? She's still my Sidekick, I still look out for her," he defended. "And listen, man, if you're confused about Sammy, you can always talk to me about it or you know, talk to _Sammy _about it. You know, the actual girl herself." Lash huffed, knowing that his friend was right, but it didn't make receiving the Right Act any less annoying.

He took a breath. "Thanks. For talking sense to me." Speed gave a grin, clapping his friend on the shoulder he just slugged before taking off down the hall.

"One of us has to, man."

Wincing, because he knew Speed did that on purpose, he rubbed his shoulder again before walking back into the infirmary.

Sammy was sitting up while Nurse Spex ran her last check on the blonde. They were mildly chatting and she was smiling at whatever they were talking about. The nurse heard him and turned to greet him.

"And here's the Hero of the hour," she smiled. Nurse Spex knew the story of how the strawberries were transferred to Sammy but she said she wouldn't tell if Lash didn't want her to, which he obviously did not. Ever.

Sammy looked up at him, cheeks glowing pink again. "Hey," she smiled. "Thanks for lugging me here." She thanked him, appearing sheepish and embarrassed.

"Whew, yeah, really had to haul you because you know, you weigh a whole 300 pounds and all," dramatized Lash. He put a hand to his back, acting as if he was in pain. "I probably pulled something and I'm damaged for the rest of my life!" Sammy gasped, now red from the clearly obvious weight lie. Lash laughed, she was easily under 150 but hell, it was fun to tease her.

"Alright, is okay if I take her, doc?" asked Lash, leaning against the table Sam was sitting on.

"Yes, everything's fine now. Though take it easy, dear, don't overwork yourself," the nurse advised.

"Okay, thank you-" Her words were cut off Lash unceremoniously picked her up over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

"Thanks, doc!" finished Lash, giving a wave as he walked out of the office.

"Lash Livingston! Put me dooooown!" she begged. He only response was his relatively evil laughter.

"You heard the doc! Don't want to overwork yourself!" he cackled. They were outside and he used his ability to extend his height and stretched across the courtyard, only made her protest, voice an octave higher as she held onto him for dear life.

"Laaaaaaaaaaaaaaashhh!"

* * *

**REVIEW! Wow, look at that! Another chapter in just one night! I'm rather impressed with myself, even if it's a kind of fluffy/filler chapter. Oh well! ;)**

**So, we see that Lash's pranks unconsciously go to far, opening his eyes to how it may affect others, his Sidekick especially.**

**Hope you enjoyed, can't wait to hear your thoughts!**


	9. Chapter 9

_**Invisible Girl**_

**Chapter Nine**

It was a raining evening, the rain beating against the glass windows of the Paper Lantern. Business was slow and they were overstaffed. Warren had cleaned the countertop for the umpteenth time now and it was almost five o'clock. At least another four hours to go. He hated slow nights, he'd much rather be busy and have something to do.

The phone rang, echoing in the quiet kitchen, alerting the employees. Finally, an order, thought Warren. Something productive to do. The older lady answered the phone swiftly, taking down the order with impressive speed and then the phone was back on the wall.

"Deliver the order," she instructed, pointing at Warren. "You are not busy." Her Chinese accent was still so thick and dominant over her English, but Warren had been working for her for years so he hardly ever noticed it anymore.

"Sure," he agreed. He took the written address so to read it. _Maxville Theater, main auditorium_. He sighed, that was only a few streets over. Probably some art group or club using the stage. At most the delivery would only take about fifteen minutes and he would be back to staring at the clock, recleaning an already clean plate. Man, he hated slow nights.

The order was simple enough to prepare, mostly light food so nothing that required a lot of intense cooking, to the cooks' disappointment. They were bored too. The kitchen was quiet as the order was filled and tucked into a carrying bag that would keep the food warm and safe while he drove. Warren shrugged on his leather jacket, flipping the collar as it was still raining.

"Alright, I'm heading out," he called back. His manager turned toward him after entering the kitchen.

"Go home after. We are not busy," she instructed. Well, there goes four hours of pay.

"Alright," he waved as he headed outside, the food slung over his shoulder. He got into the car quickly, trying to stay as dry as he could. "Freakin' monsoon," he grumbled. Obviously, wet, damp weather was not his favorite. The restaurant car started with a squeaky grind before fully coming to life and he shifted it to gear, pulling out of the back lot and onto the road.

He kept the radio down low as his fingers drummed on the steering wheel, the delayed window wipers streaking the rain away. It only took a few moments for him to slip into a daydream, thinking about school, his lack of a Sidekick. How would they assign him a new Sidekick? Would he be put onto a team, two Heroes and one Sidekick? Ugh, he was not looking forward to that discussion with Principle Powers. There would be trials to see how they work together, evaluations and discussions.

He was going to be the focus of attention, which was something he was not fond of. He already had the reputation of being big, dark and scary, he didn't need any other tags. Toughing the rain, he ran up the stairs of the theater building, being careful with food. He was able to shoulder the door open and step inside where it was dry. He could hear the tapping of footsteps and he looked up the small staircase that led out of the foyer and onto the main floor.

"Sorry, the auditorium's been booked for today," called a girl. Warren shoved some damp hair away from his face and trying to tuck them away into the ponytail as he regarded the girl.

Sammy came to an abrupt halt at the top step, looking down at him with wide blue eyes.

"Oh, um, hi," she waved. Her blonde hair was twisted into a low side ponytail and she was dressed in a black leotard, white tights, a tied off black skirt, with a white long sleeve under the thin black straps.

"Hey," he nodded. He shrugged the bag of food. "Someone ordered Chinese?"

Her face light up. "Oh! Yes, that was Chelsey. Um, if you'd like to follow me? Or I can carry it, but I don't have the money to pay you-"

"It's okay. I can follow," he said, already making his way up the stairs, dry thanks to his power. She nodded, fiddling with her blonde ponytail.

"O-okay, so it's, um, this way then," she half stammered. Warren walked beside her, dwarfing her in his shadow. She was wearing pink ballet slippers, he noted, she was a dancer? The air between them was quiet as they walked, only a short distance as Sammy opened the first door.

They stepped into the auditorium, filled with red velvet plush chairs facing a generous stage. There were other girls as well, some his and Sammy's age while the others were younger, grade school level girls.

"Heeey! Food's here!" cheered a brunette, hair pinned up in a bun. He and Sammy walked over to the group and the brunette fished money out of her bag.

"Thanks soooo much! All this practicing, and drama with Sam's partner sure makes a girl hungry!" she chirped. Warren exchanged the food for money and raised a brow at the blonde.

"What do you mean, drama?" he asked. Sammy blushed pink under his attention, mumbling some sort of excuse. The brunette, who he was assuming was Chelsey, the girl who ordered, stood next to the Sidekick to put her arm around her shoulder.

"I-It's okay, really-" Chelsey looked appalled.

"It's not okay!" She huffed. "Sam's dance partner, a.k.a a vital piece in our entire production, decided to quit on us today, just leaving us out to dry!"

"And Miss Sam needs a partner!" chirped one of the younger girls. "She's the star!"

"Well, yes, I do, but I'm sure Warren n-needs to get back to work anyway-" started Sammy, face bright red with the attention.

"Warren?" caught Chelsey, looking between the two. Warren didn't have a nametag. The dancer raised a brow. "You two...know each other?"

"Yeah, we go to school together," explained Warren with a shrug. No big deal.

"Oh! You both go to that-that private school, right Sam?" asked Chelsey. Sammy's face was a little pale as she nodded.

"Yes, that _private _school, right Warren?" emphasized Sammy, stealing a quick glance to make sure he got her hint. Clearly, her cover for Sky High was a private school as none of the other dancers were super powered.

"Yes," he answered carefully. "Private school. We're, uh, classmates." Not superheroes.

"Yep, classmates!" Sam tried to chirp. "Definitely classmates."

Warren couldn't hang around very long, he needed to return to the Paper Lantern to drop off the money from their purchase and the car in order to be done for the night. Sammy walked him to the door, fiddling with her hair again. Her, very pretty, white blonde hair.

"Well, um, thanks for the food," she said. He nodded.

"No problem." Another bubble of silence as his hand rested on the handle. He turned so to face her again, making direct eye contact. "Let me know how your partner search goes."

She looked mildly surprised by the remark, cheeks glowing under his gaze. "Oh, okay. Sure thing."

"See you." She waved.

"See you."

* * *

"Crap crap craaaaap!" whined Sammy as she ran down the street. The rain had yet to stop, in fact, she was certain it was raining harder now. Her shoes seemed to land in every puddle, her socks soaked. Well the bottom of her tights anyway. She had pulled on jeans over her tights and lower leotard, tennis shoes and her jean jacket, collar flipped up so to stave off some of the water from creeping down the back of her neck. The theater wasn't that far from her house but the rain made it seem like miles. She was almost there, running around the corner of her block.

Just in time for a car to come speeding by, sending the wave of water that the street had accumulated right over her head. She stumbled to a halt, stunned by the water hit. Well now there was no point in trying to save a dry spot, now she was irreversibly soaked.

"Awesome..." First, she got to practice to learn that Rob, her dance partner, had quit, deciding that his true calling was in painting. Then, Warren was the delivery guy who was nothing but the main topic of gossip as soon as he left. Now, she had to find someone to cover her dance partner's place. Not that she was particularly fond of him anyway, he was usually trying to push her out of her spotlights.

She was coming up on Lash's house, neighboring her own. Out of breath, soaked, and crazy idea in mind. She jumped the steps on the porch and rang the doorbell, hands on her waist to try and regain her wind.

"Yeah, I got it mom!"

The door opened, light spilling onto Sammy, highlighting her waterlogged figure. Lash stood in front of her, expression honestly surprised. He leaned against the door frame, arms crossed over his chest, amused and smirking.

"Well, hey there Blondie," he greeted. "What brings you? Can't find your way home?" Sammy gave a short laugh, still trying to catch her breath.

"A-actually, I, um, wanted to ask you a question. Now I know that it'll require some commitment, but I-"

"Jason, honey, who's at the door?" called Mrs. Livingston, walking up behind her son.

"It's Sam, mom," he answered. His mom was standing beside him now, gasping when she saw Sammy's dripping wet condition.

"Oh my stars! Jason Livingston you get her inside this instant!" she instructed, slapping him lightly on the arm.

"Oh no, it's alright, I'm really really wet and-" Lash grabbed her by the arm and pulled her inside.

"Trust me," he whispered. "Much better to do as she says." Sammy nodded.

"Sure thing...Jason," she grinned. Lash groaned aloud.

"You're not going to drop that are you?" he asked, slightly hopefully.

She smiled sweetly. "Oh, never."

Mrs. Livingston came back over with an armful of towels, draping one over the girl's shoulders. "Samantha, would you like to stay for dinner?"

"Oh, it's okay, I really just-"

"Yeah, I'm sure she has something to do, mom-"

"Oh hush, both of you," silenced the mom. The teenagers shut their mouths automatically, looking at each other for assistance. "You're going to stay for dinner, get dried off and you and Jason can have a nice chat." She smiled kindly, silently stating that her word was final.

"Yes, ma'am."

"Yes, mom."

"Good," she smiled. She disappeared into another room for a short moment, returning with a pair of jeans.

"Now, these may be just a bit too long for you, dear, but I think they'll do." The jeans were pushed into her arms. Mrs. Livingston brushed some brown hair out of her eyes, as if waiting patiently. When neither super-teen moved into any sort of forward motion, her hands found her hips.

"Well, Jason, show her the bathroom and find her a shirt to change into! Dinner's almost ready, chop chop!" she clapped. Lash sprung into action, pushing Sammy up the stairs.

"Up, up, up, you heard the boss," said Lash, hands firmly around her waist so to steer her up the staircase. One bedroom door opened, revealing Lash's younger brother Jake.

"Does mom know you're bringing a girl to your room?" he asked, suspicious eyebrow raised.

"Not now, shrimp!" quieted Lash, shoving Sammy unceremoniously into his room. He closed the door behind him as the Sidekick stumbled and landed on the messy bed, relatively safe. Lash groaned out loud, running his hands through his hair, tossling it.

"Of all the nights, Sammy, of all the nights," he mumbled. Sammy took advantage of the towel, using it to roughly dry her hair.

"Listen, it's not a big deal. It was very nice of your mom to invite me, but I only live not even thirty feet away!" explained Sam. "If you want me to leave, just say so, _Jason_."

He shot her a look. "Stop calling me that, Blondie."

"Why?" she shrugged. "It's your name and plus you call me Blondie all the time!"

"Well that's different," he reasoned. "I'm me, and you're you." He took a seat next to her, sighing loudly again. Sammy's brow furrowed. They were sitting right next to each other, legs touching. She reached out and touched his arm.

"Hey, what's going on? I promise, I'm not that bad of company," she half teased. He gave a breathy laugh and gave her a shove.

"The bathroom's right there. Go ahead and change, you'll be able to hear me through the door. Plus, you're getting my bed wet."

"Oh!" she yelped, jumping to her feet. "Sorry!" Laughing, Lash got to his feet as well, pushing her toward the bathroom that was attached to his room.

"Dry off, I'll try to find you a shirt," he promised. She nodded, closing the door behind her. Lash looked through drawers, trying to find a shirt that would first, fit her and second, would suit her. He looked through a couple of piles. Skulls, skulls, too big, stripes but too big, old shirt that might fit but there's a flaming skull on it. Damn.

"So, what's the big deal about tonight?" asked Sammy through the door, peeling off the wet layers of clothing and rubbing her skin dry.

"Right. Well, my grandparents are coming over tonight," he started. An idea came to mind and he grabbed the black and white striped shirt and fished out her gray, short sleeved jacket that she had chucked at him at the beginning of the semester.

"Okay? I don't follow," said Sammy, running her fingers through her hair in an attempt to brush it out. The jeans actually fit just fine, despite that she had to roll the bottoms twice so she wouldn't walk on the hem.

"And they don't know that I go to Sky High. Or that I'm a Hero. Or anything about our world, really," he added.

"Seriously? How could they not know?" she asked incredulously. He sighed.

"Trust me, they don't like anything supernatural and if they don't want to believe in something, it's as good as nonexistent." He knocked on the door, clothes in hand. "Not to mention that my mom's a crazy gossip."

"What do you mean?" The Sidekick felt tons better now that she was dry. She quickly texted her mom, explaining that she was staying next door for dinner. Her mom sent her back a smile emoticon with her approval.

"I mean, they think I go to some private school, that I'm on the track team-oh, and they think that you're my girlfriend. You know, normal cover up stuff."

The door was opened quickly, Sammy holding the towel to cover most of her torso. Her blue eyes were wide with shock.

"What?" she yelped. He held out the clothes.

"Here you go. Good thing you threw that jacket at me huh?" he teased, trying to distract from the conversation. She accepted the clothing, nodding in agreement.

"Yeah, I guess so," she laughed. "But wait, why do they think I'm your girlfriend?" This time it was Lash's turn to turn pink, the burning sensation starting at the back of his neck.

"Just mom talking about me, and since you're my Sidekick, you...come up in conversation a lot," he reasoned. Sammy turned quickly to tug on the loose shirt so she could spin back to face her Hero. This time, she had the sneaky smile.

"You talk about me," she started slowly, pieces coming together. "You, Jason Livingston, talk about me!"

"Only about how short and aggravating you are," he defended.

"No, I know how this works! Trust me, my mom's equally chatty and chatty moms only spread gossip that they like to talk about," explained Sammy. She smiled up at him. "You've said something nice about me! And I'm not that short, just so we know. You're just freakishly tall."

For once, Lash was at a loss for words, stunned. Now flustered, he brought his arm up to lean on the door frame. "Listen, I just need you to...humor my grandparents while they're here..."

A fair brow quirked. "You want us to pretend to be together? To lie to your family? That doesn't really sound like a good idea-"

Lash huffed in aggravation and desperation. He bent down, taking her face in his hand, nose to nose with her. Brown eyes were begging for compliance while blue eyes were round with surprise. Again, physical contact was not her best subject.

"Samantha Winchester, I am literally begging you to help me out here." She could feel his breath on her face, he was so close. "Please please please, help me out and I swear to whatever it was you came here to talk about, I'll do it."

"But you don't even know what I-" He shook his head.

"Doesn't matter. Now that you're here, everyone's going to be expecting this of us."

"I-I suppose but what if-" Lash crushed his mouth to hers again, hands lost to her hair as he held her to him. This time, Sammy pushed back, hands finding his shirt as support. She rose onto her tiptoes, determined. Electricity pulsed throughout her entire being.

Lash pulled away, forehead leaning against her own as they regained their breath. "See? No problem."

* * *

**REVIEW! Look-y there! Another chapter! I'm on a roll I tell you! But it is the last night of my spring break so it may be a bit before the next update. Sad panda. Oh well, hope to hear from you readers!**

**Hope you enjoyed!**


	10. Chapter 10

_**Invisible Girl**_

**Chapter Ten**

No problem. Right, no problem whatsoever. Sure. It was just the fact that Lash kissed her. Again. He claimed her first kiss before she dropped, so she didn't really count that. This one, definately counted. No big deal. Just the cornerstone of her female life. Right. Just ignore the whole heart pounding sensation.

Sammy folded the striped sleeves back so that they could possibly make the shirt pass for a three-fourth length sleeve, but it still very loose, not to mention long, on her beneath her gray short sleeved jacket. Lash kept sticking his head out into the hall, peeking downstairs to see if his grandparents had arrived yet. Crinkling her nose, Sammy pulled the collar of the borrowed shirt up over her nose, only to drop it quickly.

"Ugh!" she yelped, covering her nose with her hands.

"What?" asked Lash, eyes trained downstairs.

"It smells like boy!" she blurted. Before Lash could retort, the was a knock on the front door, followed by his mother's voice. He whipped around, iron tight grip on the door frame.

"Mom, Dad! It's so great to see you!" The Hero blanched and pulled Sammy to the doorway, so she could see his grandparents come through the doorway.

"And there they are. The Ultimate Villains," dramatized Lash. "Okay, maybe more like Hero and Villlainess." Blonde brow raised, the shorter of the two leaning around so to get a look.

It was an elderly couple chatting with Mrs. Livingston. The woman was shorter with pretty silver hair that was twisted into a bun, while the man had a full head of dark gray hair in a pushed back sort of manner. They were all chatting happily with each other. No red flags were going off.

"What do you mean? They seem nice," commented Sammy. Lash grabbed her by the shoulders, lowering himself down to her height so to be at decent eye level.

"Do not fall into their trap!" he whispered urgently. "That's how they always win! Be on guard at all times-this can work as pre-professional Hero simulation-"

"Jason? Come down and say hello to your grandparents!" chirped Mrs. Livingston. "Oh, and bring Samantha!" Lash groaned, banging the back of his head against the frame.

"Jason?" she called again. "Sam?"

Sammy gave an encouraging pat. "Come on, might as well," she smiled. The tall boy gave another sigh before making his way down the stairs, the shorter girl's hand clenched in his own, hauling her down the steps as well.

"Jason!" cooed his grandmother, opening her arms wide to embrace her grandson. "So nice to see you, hon'!" Lash gave a half smile as he bent down to give a hug.

"Hey grandma," he greeted. She leaned back so to give him a loving pat on the cheek, then her smile turned critical as she tapped his back.

"Now stand up straight, dear. You'll ruin your back stooping over like that," she instructed crisply before pushing past him to make her way to Sammy. Lash rolled his eyes, wishing he could show her just how tall he could really stand. That would shut her up.

Wide blue eyes regarded the older woman with caution, unsure of how to proceed. Sidekick Rule #12: Always allow the Hero to take the lead on a mission.

"And now, just who are you?" she asked, adjusting her glasses to make sure that she was seeing correctly. Sammy fought the urge to vanish and instead, held out her hand in a shaky offering. What was the lead? What was the lead!

"Hi, I'm Samantha Winchester," she managed without a stutter. Grandma lifted her chin, taking in her appearance. Of course, she probably looked a wreck, still wet and dressed in the mismatch Livingston clothes.

"I see," she finally said, accepting her handshake firmly.

"Ah, Winchester," spoke up the grandpa. He looked over at his grandson with a knowing smile. "This wouldn't happen to be your girlfriend, now would it Jason?" Lash closed the distance between the super teens, sliding his arm over her shoulder, hugging her to his side, rather tightly in Sam's opinion.

"Yep," he gritted. "This is my...girlfriend." Sidekick.

Sammy gave a smile and a wave, doing her best to be charming. "It's very nice to meet you."

"Very nice to meet you as well," returned his grandpa, shaking her hand as well. Though his grandma still had her detailed oriented eye trained on the girl.

"Mhm, yes, well, can't say we were expecting you," she clipped. Sammy could feel the heat flood her cheeks at the comment. Me either, she thought to herself. That makes two of us.

"Well, uh, guess we better go help set the table, huh Sammy?" he asked, disrupting the focus on the blonde. Sammy nodded, happy for the excuse.

"Right, wouldn't want your mom to do all the work-"

"Don't say "Huh" or "Uh", Jason. It's unbecoming and it makes you sound unintelligent," chided grandma, blatantly interrupting Sam.

"Yes, grandma. I'll try," he answered through clenched teeth.

Taking the chance, he directed Sammy into the kitchen where they loaded up on plates, silverware, cups and other table setting necessities. Lash took the heavier plates while his support handled the more delicate items, following him into the charming little dining room.

"See what I mean?" he asked under his breath, setting a plate. Sammy stood right next to him, setting the other accessories for the seat.

"Well, they're a little intense. Your grandma at least," she answered. Quickly, she added on, "Not to be rude or anything. Your grandpa seems very nice." Lash gave a snort.

"Trust me, none taken." They moved onto the next spot, filling it with the proper supplies. They remained closed to each other, arms brushing. Neither one wanted to be left alone on this particular mission. Better to stay together and to tag team a problem, rather than being separated to deal with an unknown danger.

In a few short minutes, Mrs. Livingston had the hot food ready to go and placed on the appropriate spots on the tablecloth. Tensely, Sam and Lash found their seats. Mrs. Livingston sat at the head of the table, Lash at it's opposite as his father was gone on business, Sammy on his left, Jake beside her, then the grandparents sat opposite of them.

Luckily, there was a fair bit of time where the family conversed, leaving Sammy out of the loop. The talked to Jake, asking about his subjects and how was school going, being an eight grader he was to be a freshmen at the (Sky) High school the following year. This is where Sammy saw the soft side of the grandma, when she was mollycoddling Jake, clearly stating that he was her personal favorite. The blonde continued to nibble on her salad in content silence, happy to be out of range.

"And Jason, how're your classes going?" asked his grandpa, turning the focus to the high school student.

"It's good so far," Lash answered. "Can't wait to graduate, y'know." He and his grandfather shared a short laugh before grandma joined the conversation.

"So you will be graduating?" she asked, lifting her chin. His shoulders slumped.

"Yes, grandma. I'm graduating," he answered.

"Hm, surprising." She took a delicate sip of water. "With all that trouble you had a few years back, I'm honestly still surprised that you're still in school."

Sammy fought the urge to cringe. Homecoming with the Royal Pain take over. Lash, Speed, and Penny had all been on her side of the fight. That year Sam had been sick with the flu during the dance and was at home when the whole battle went down. Still, she hated to think about it. The betrayal of taking sides with the villain. Though, in her opinion, they were improving since they were still attending Sky High and making an effort-

"You do know that he's a delinquent, don't you?" asked grandma. Sammy turned her gaze to the older woman's piercing stare. She was addressing her. Her. The girlfriend. The Hero Support.

She could feel everyone's eyes on her as she weighed her words carefully in her head. Quickly, she flipped through numerous things in her head before blurting out an answer. Afraid that if she took too long, the woman would find some reason to mock her, saying that she was slow.

"I don't think so, ma'am," she answered, politely. A silver brow raised.

"Is that right?"

Sammy nodded. "Yes ma'am."

"Tell me, Samantha, is that your real hair color?" she asked coolly. "Or is it one of those strange dyes your generation is obsessed with?" Sam could feel her cheeks warm.

"This is my natural hair color."

"Mhm. And just what grade are you in?"

"I'm senior. I'm in the same class as," she almost tripped over his name, "Jason."

"Really? How exactly did you two meet?" she asked, folding her napkin from her lap and placing it on the table.

Sammy's memory jumped back to freshman year. It was after Power Placement and she had been walking with an armful of books, a newly branded Sidekick. Then suddenly, out of nowhere, something grabbed her ankle, yanking her legs out from under her. Books slid across the floor while a throbbing from her elbow indicated a new bruise forming.

_"Out of the way_, Sidekick_!"_ jeered Lash. _"Gotta make way for the real Heroes!"_ He high fived Speed as they took off, plowing through other Sidekicks, determined to earn themselves the new bully titles.

"Freshman orientation," explained Sammy, tweaking the memory. "That's when I met him."

Grandma pursed her lips, not liking the fact that the girl was answering all of her questions. Her husband gently placed his hand over hers.

"Now, Laura, let the poor girl catch her breath," he advised with a hearty laugh. "This is a meal, not an interrogation, darling." Sammy let a soft breath loose from relief.

"Of course, dear. I'm simple curious," defended grandma. On that note, dinner came to a close, thankfully. The dishes were cleared and cleaned quickly, and instead of being excused to the safety, yet messy, of Lash's room, Mrs. Livingston was sure to usher everyone to the living room for after dinner chatting. Though Jake was excused as he was going to his friend's to work on some type of science project.

Lash and Sammy dragged their feet, filing into the living room last. Which turned out to be a mistake. The living room consisted of a two cushion couch, where the grandparents sat, then a delicate armchair where Mrs. Livingston took her seat, then there was a recliner and a footstool left. Blue eyes flickered to the taller teen, unsure. Out of habit, she started towards the footstool, not going to kick Lash out of a chair in his own home. Next thing she knew, an arm was around her waist, she was off her feet and seated on Lash's lap as he sat in the recliner.

"I, um, it's okay, I mean, I could," she stammered, unable to think of a quick enough excuse. His arms snaked around her securely and she felt as if her face was on fire. She whipped her head to look at him, startled. Her face only burned further. The recliner leaned back, angling her side right against his body. She was so close to him. So much physical contact, the topic she was the least familiar with.

His grandmother scoffed. "A little inappropriate, don't you think Jason?" Sam tried to twist in his hold to stammer an apology, beet red. Instead, Lash took the opportunity and pulled her closer, holding her tight like a doll, as if she weighed nothing.

"Aww grandma," he faked whined. He snuggled his nose into her neck, making her yelp. "Just look at her. She's adorable!"

"Why I _never_!" gasped grandma, appalled. Sammy was wiggling to get free now, embarrassed and slightly scared of his grandma's next reaction. Lash wouldn't let her leave, she could feel him fighting back laughter, his chest vibrating. He was actually thoroughly enjoying making Sammy and his grandmother feel awkward. His grandpa was laughing while his mom was covering her mouth, amused. He kept his grip locked and since she couldn't vanish, she was as good as trapped.

Taking advantage of the light commotion he caused, he stood up with Sammy in his grasp and took off up the stairs, laughing in victory. After dinner round: Lash: 1 and Grandma: 0.

He closed the door behind him and flopped onto his bed, Sammy bouncing lightly beside him. Adjusting herself so that she was pushed up on her elbows, looking down at him, still slightly tangled.

"What on earth were you thinking?" she gasped. "I thought she was going to kill us! Me anyway, you're family, you'd have a better shot at being left mostly alive." He laughed again, leaning back into his pillow.

"Her face was priceless! Man, I love revenge!" he sighed, content now. "That was perfect and the fact that you're still blushing is good too." She fumbled for words, still blushing and simply settled for wacking him lightly with her hand.

"Y-you're unbelievable!" she managed. He raised a brow, cocky.

"I'm fucking fantastic, baby," he winked.

This time, Sam scoffed, mocking. "You like to think so."

"Oh trust me, I know so."

"Mhm, sure."

"I am."

"Sure you are."

"Really!"

"Yes, I totally believe you."

"I think you're mocking me."

"What? I would never do something so demeaning!"

"I think you would."

"Yeah. I probably would."

"That was supposed to be your cue to deny and pretend to be a good kid."

"Was it?"

"Yes."

"Oh right, my bad. Do I get a re-do?"

"Nope. Now you're fired."

"Rats. That's too bad."

"Yep. Have to find some other poor sap now."

"Well, they're hard to come by."

"What are?"

"Awesomely cool people like me."

"I didn't say that."

"Really? That's what I heard you say."

Finally catching his breath from laughing, the stitch in his side ebbing, he looked up at Sammy. Her white blonde hair was finally dry in little waves and ringlets, hanging down the front of her shoulders as she looked down at him, height on her side. She was smiling too, something he either never noticed or paid attention too. It was a nice smile, very cute on her.

"What?" she laughed, half smile still lingering. He raised a brow.

"What?" he returned. She quirked a brow, mirroring him, adding a little tilt of the head.

"You're staring." He smirked and gave a shrug.

"So?"

"So, why?" she asked, honestly curious. It was strange to have someone focused on her. Usually if people were looking in her direction, it was because she was with Will Stronghold as a piece in the Sidekick posse', or nowadays it was because she was Lash's Sidekick. People didn't typically pay her much attention when she was just by herself.

"Why not?" he asked. She could feel his hand sliding up her arm, sliding over her shoulder and softly slipping behind her neck, beneath her hair. The delicate hairs on her arms and the back of her neck were standing with electricity, nerves a light. He pulled her in closer, their breaths mixing. Her eyes fluttered closed as he vanquished the space between them, allowing him to kiss her again. He wouldn't kiss her unless he meant it, right? Did that mean the game was done? It had to be, there was no one else to perform for, the audience was gone.

She pulled back to catch a breath. "Lash, what does this mean-?" He cut her off, pulling her in again. His mouth was warm and soft against her own. Instead of trying to define the actions, she simply pushed back, deciding to enjoy the moment. Is this is what it felt like to be wanted?

She was his partner, his Sidekick, his Hero Support, Lash mentally swore. Plus there were the other loose girls at school who were pining for his attention. Not to mention he already agreed to go to prom with some girl, what's-her-name. Hell, one night wouldn't hurt. They were pretending anyway. Right?

* * *

**REVIEW! Oh no, one night of pretending is leading to mixed emotions! Conflicts to come, trust me I have more things hidden up my sleeves! So glad I was able to get this chapter out to you guys! Love to hear your thoughts as always!**


	11. Chapter 11

_**Invisible Girl**_

**Chapter Eleven**

The punching bag swung lightly as Sammy's fists made contact. Her hands were wrapped in the bandages, so to keep her skin from splitting on harsh contact. Shifting from foot to foot, she hit the bag again, trying to really make it swing. It was physical conditioning under Coach Boomer supervision, who patrolled the large weight room. Huffing, Sammy shoved her hair back, ponytail becoming loose so she decided to take a water break in order to rehydrate and fix her muss hair.

"Hey," came a voice. The blonde turned around see the husky speed demon coming over to get a drink as well. She smiled up at him.

"Hey, Speed. How's it going?" she asked. He gave a nod.

"It's going. You?" he asked. She shrugged in return.

"About the same," she smiled. They had a short conversation, just the basics, asking how classes were going and the like. It was pleasant to chat, now that he wasn't trying to plow her down in the hallways anymore. There were some perks to being Lash's Sidekick.

"You call that bench pressing?" yelled Boomer. The Sidekick was Ethan, who was sweating profusely and struggling with the minor weights that he had. "I want to see you pump-some-IRON!"

"Yes, Coach Boomer!" he answered, arms shaking. Boomer lowered his face, as if he had trouble hearing.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't quite hear you!"

"Yes Coach Boomer!" Ethan shouted. Wincing, Sammy set her water bottle down, making her way back to the punching bag. Best look productive. One on one combat was an area she needed to work on in particular anyway. She was good with evasion, and stealth as they worked hand in hand with her power, while physical assault was not her strong suit.

She huffed as the bag barely swung on her hit. Again. Before she could go at it again out of irritation, Speed stepped up to the other side of the bag.

"Need a hand?" he offered. "Not that this thing's going that far anyway."

Sammy made a face. "Oh hush, I'm working on it." Her fist popped the bag again, not a twitch of movement coming from it now that Speed was acting as the support. He laughed aloud at her and her face flushed in embarrassment.

"Ouch Sammy, gotta say, you're not all that scary," he teased, only one hand steadying the bag. "Couldn't even feel the force through my side of the bag." Giving an indignant huff, she walked back always in order to give her a good enough start. Blue eyes glaring at the bag, her legs flexed, prepping for a quick running start.

"I don't know how much running's going to help with your hit, kid," shrugged Speed, one hand on the bag, clearly not intimidated.

"Just watch me and I'll show you!" she challenged. If her theory was right, she could do some damage this way. Afterall, in her opinion, her strongest limbs were her legs. Even without proper training, they had been conditioned through years of dance practice and her usual running.

"Alright then, prove it."

"Okay, I will!" She kicked off, quick, powerful steps and when she was at just the right spot, she leaped into the air. Her body twisted around, sending her leg into the bag with the hardest kick she could possibly manage.

The chain holding the bag creaked as it swung back, out of Speed's hand. He regarded her with his brows raised, impressed. She stood up straight and lifted her arms, faux flexing in victory and triumph.

"Nice, kid. Very nice," he complimented. She grinned, clearly proud.

"Thank you. Now if you don't mind, I'm going to find some ice because that really, really hurt." Her grin turned into a grimace as she now hobbled to the sideline, shin throbbing painfully. Speed laughed aloud at her, but instead of blushing she grinned back.

"Don't hate, I know you're jealous!" she teased. The first aid table was well stocked with ice, plastic bags and towels which supplied Sam with the items she needed.

"Right, so jealous. I wish after one hit I would be out of a fight," he teased back. She thought about tossing an ice cube at him, but then decided that she would most likely miss, it would melt on the ground and someone would later slip on it. Better not then. Instead she tossed a small piece into her mouth, the cold refreshing on her tongue.

Speed looked up at the clock. They were going to be dismissed soon to change back into school clothes, the class drawing to a close. So, he took the seat beside the Sidekick, to which she raised a brow but made no comment on it. In a flash, he moved to the table to snag a towel and return to his seat, wiping the sweat from his face and neck.

"How fast are you?" asked Sammy, clearly curious. "I've always wondered."

He had to think for a moment. "The last time we tested, I was faster than a beam of light?"

"Wow really? That's insane," she said, impressed. "Do you ever get tired?"

He shrugged. "Honestly? Not that often. Haven't really had a situation that called for top speed and long distance." She nodded in understanding, adjusting the bag of ice. There was a brief pause before Speed decided on his question.

"So how does your power work?" he asked. "Do you wiggle your nose and turn invisible or something?" Sammy laughed aloud, shaking her head.

"Oh no, nothing like that!" she giggled. She brought up her free hand. "Here, give me yours. I'll show you." He gave her a funny look and she rolled her eyes. "It's not going to hurt, I promise. It's just easier to show than trying to explain it to someone."

Complying, he lifted his hand which was far heftier than hers. She brought their hands together so that they were touching.

"Okay, so the first part is the easiest. Just turning invisible." There was a vague shimmer and her hand was gone, but Speed applied pressure, brow furrowed. He could still feel her hand.

"I can still feel it," he said. She nodded, excited to explain it to someone.

"Right! I'm just invisible, nothing else. So in a fight someone could still hit me, or I could still hit them. It's the easiest part and since it's practically second nature I sometimes vanish without thinking about it." She took a breath. "Now, watch."

Speed's eyes squinted, trying to imagine the outline of her hand. One minute he could feel the invisible hand and the next, it was just air. He looked at her, confused. Her arm was still outstretched to him, her wrist exactly where it should be, but where her hand connected to his there was nothing.

"Now, I'm intangible. So the enemy can't see me or touch me. Well, kind of anyway."

"What do you mean, kind of?" he asked. "Isn't it a yes or no situation?"

She gave a half shrug, trying to decide. "I mean, you can't actually, physically feel me there. It's more like-oh, I can just show you." Her arm extended forward and Speed could feel a shock of cold stab his hand, making him pull it away quickly.

"Wh-what was that?" he asked, bewildered. "That was so weird!" Sammy laughed, wiggling her now solid hand and fingers.

"My hand phased through yours. So it's not a physical "feeling" if we're being technical here." She rotated her wrist before holding it up again. Now when it shimmered, Speed could still see her hand, but he could also whatever was behind it.

"Wow, that's crazy," he admitted.

"This time, I'm just intangible, so you can still mostly see me." Her hand returned to normal and she fiddled with the ice bag on her leg again.

Speed observed her for a moment, as if expecting her to vanish entirely. "Is it hard?"

"Um, yeah, sometimes," she answered honestly. "It's a lot of concentration, that's for sure."

"And you're not a Hero?" he asked honestly. Sammy stared, wide eyed, stunned by the question.

"Me? A H-Hero? I-"

"Hit the SHOWERS!" instructed Boomer, fists on his hips while his voice resounded throughout the room.

"Yes Coach Boomer!" the class answered automatically. They got up to head to their designated locker rooms just as Sam thought of another question.

"Speed, have you seen Lash?" she asked. "I thought maybe he got held up in a class, but he missed this entire period."

Speed took a minute to remember where his lanky friend had gone. He snapped his fingers. "Swing by detention. He was sleeping last class and Medulla tossed him out. He could still be there. Why?"

She gave a vague shrug. "It's not a big deal or anything, but he had the other half of our work for Team Building, so I wanted to make sure he actually did it. Thanks though!" She gave a wave as she followed the other girls to go shower and change.

He returned the wave. "No problem."

* * *

Lash stepped out of the detention room, finally free. He stretched, turning to the right and to the left. He didn't know what it was, but being trapped in a room that neutralizes powers always made him feel like he was cramped and crunched, unable to stretch fully. He swore under his breath when he checked the time. He missed Boomer's entire conditioning class. Dammit. He was actually looking forward to that.

Instead of getting worked up about it, he sighed and made his way down to his locker over in the next hallway. The halls were still mostly deserted, which suited him just fine. He wasn't in the mood to pulverize Sidekicks and freshmen alike. He would if they were present, but he wasn't feeling up to actually go looking for them.

Idly, he spun his combination, finally getting it to unlock on the third try. He had a very sensitive locker that would not, for the love of all that was Super, open unless he hit each number exactly on the point. He snagged his next subject book, flipping open to the homework page to find it incomplete. He groaned, leaning his forehead against the top of his locker in aggravation. Now he had to go find Sammy, to see if she did her share. Of course she did, she was practically done when she reminded him to be sure to finish his own.

Oh well, solid excuse to go see his fair haired Hero Support. He was game.

"Lash!"

Speak of the Sidekick and she will appear. He smirked, turning to face the blonde.

"What's up midget?" he asked nonchalantly. She jogged up to him, books in her arms like always. She shoved some loose hair away from her face before continuing.

"Not much, just wanted to check and make sure that-Come on now, I'm five foot six! That's a perfectly reasonable height!" she retorted, interrupting her own statement with a huff. Lash laughed, stepping closer, placing his hand on her head.

"Well, maybe for a Hobbit you're tall, Frodo." Scoffing, she brushed his hand off her head, feeling more like a puppy than a person.

"Oh please, Gandalf, like you're some hot shot," she mocked. Lash looked mildly impressed that she picked up the joke reference so smoothly. Hmm, that was strangely attractive. She tucked a loose strand behind her ear. "So, did you ever finish the homework for Team-"

"Oh there you are, babe!" The pair flinched, turning to see Amanda Sparks making her way over. She was another Hero, with gorgeous long legs, and silky dark hair that never seemed to friz even with her talent for electricity. She threw her arms around Lash's neck, spinning the two with her momentum. She stole a kiss, her height giving her the advantage. She gave a flick of her hair as she smiled at the Hero.

"So, hey, I finally decided on a prom dress color, and I think you're really going to like it-"

"Hey, think we can talk some other time-"

"And my mom's soooo excited for pictures-"

"Really, some other time-"

"And I'm sure you'll look a hot mess like always," she winked, stealing another full mouth kiss from the flexible Super. Now, Lash pulled the girl off of him, holding her at extend arm's reach.

"Knock it off," he told her sternly. Her pink lips formed a pout.

"Aw baby, why so cold? I've missed you."

Lash ignored the sparky girl, looking around for his Sidekick only to find no one. Swearing, he released the girl and made his way to the connecting hall.

"Sam?" he called. "Sammy?" There was no answer but he could hear the tip tap of running feet. Running away from him.

They were just pretending the other night. Pretending. It was a cover. An act. Even if it did feel fantastic to hold her tight. Even if their banter was so much fun and so natural. Even if he loved kissing her and making her blush. Even if he did love cuddling with her, lithe body snug against his. It was still their cover. He was the Hero and she was his Sidekick. They knew they were only pretending. They both knew! So then, why did it hurt?

"Dammit Sammy..."

* * *

Her chest heaved with quick and difficult breaths. Her form was flickering between normal and invisible as she tried, and failed, to regain a grip on her emotions. She stumbled to a halt in the hallway, unsure of what part of the school she brought herself too. Lifting her hands to her face, she found that her cheeks were slick with tears. The sound of labored breathing was due to the fact that she was crying, and her chest was hurting. She was physically hurting. Was that suppose to happen? She didn't know. She didn't know anything about emotionally trauma or shock. Sure, she experienced happiness, fear, and other types of emotions before, she was a girl after all. Yet, in all her years, she never felt this kind of hurt before. Was it normal? Or was this some version that only super teens contracted?

Her feet led her outside, where she promptly ran into Speed, face bumping against his chest. Now her nose was throbbing painfully along with her emotions, and embarrassment to stack on top of it all.

"Hey, are you alright?" asked Speed, alarmed. Her image was still shifting in and out of focus, her eyes were still burning with tears, and she still couldn't catch her breath. And there was all this hurt swelling inside her chest, she thought she might explode.

"Sammy, are you alright?" he asked again, voice concerned while he gripped her shoulders to steady her. She closed her eyes, shaking her head vigorously enough to make her hair wave back and forth.

"N-n-no I-I'm n-not...!" she managed to choke out. The was the slightest adjustment and she found herself hiding her face in the Hero bully's shoulder, shaking. He didn't ask any questions since he most likely knew the cause of the reason behind the actions.

She knew that they were suppose to pretend to be together, but she thought it would be fun, just some faux and over the top flirty. Just fun and a couple of good laughs. But then he kissed her. Kissed her! She, Samantha Winchester, received her first kiss from Lash Livingston and it was a part of a rouse. A scam. Then he shared those private kisses with her, where there was no audience to fool and she...she thought...she thought it meant something special...Like she was special...

She thought she was special to him...but she was just a Sidekick, an invisible girl, why on earth would she be?

* * *

**REVIEW! Some sadness now but it'll get better, don't fret! Love to hear your thoughts as always!**


	12. Chapter 12

_**Invisible Girl**_

_Warning: Language_

**Chapter Twelve**

_I got a pocket, got a pocketful of sunshine, I got a love and I know that it's all mine, woah, woah_...Sammy fished out her clunky cell phone from her pocket, flipping it open with a flick of her wrist. She was in line behind the other students in order to board the bus.

"Hello?" she answered, covering her other ear so to hear better. She didn't always have great service up on the floating school grounds.

"Sammy! Ohmigawd, Sammy you won't believe it! You just won't believe-"

"Hello? Lauren? Lauren, y-you're cutting out, I can't hear you very well-"

"-found someone! And he's-"

Sammy took her usual window seat, shoving her hair away from her face, straining to hear her friend.

"Lauren, I still can not understand you-"

Next thing she knew, her phone line was quiet, the call lost. She glared at her phone, giving it a shake. Rotten connection. Oh well, she could call her back at home or talk when she got to practice that night.

Students filed by, grabbing seats with their friends and they left the seat beside the blonde alone as per usual. She leaned against the cool window, eyes closed. She was ready to go home and all she needed was a nice and quiet bus ride. Then she felt someone take the seat beside her.

"Hey Blondie," he greeted. She felt the phone slip from her hand as he took it upon himself to investigate it. "Where did you get this from? The nineties?" Huffing, she sat up fully and turned to face him.

"It's not that old, but I like it so give it here," she requested politely, hand outstretched.

"Nah," he shrugged. He flipped it open and started to press a few keys. She reached for it but he held it clearly out of her way, he didn't even need to use his powers.

"Come on now, don't break it," she huffed.

"Cool your heels, short stuff, just adding my number. Trying to bring your phone in this century." Sammy opened her mouth to retort but her throat grew tight when she looked up at him fully. He looked at her with those brown eyes, half smile teasing her.

"There you go," he smiled, returning her phone. Sammy could feel her eyes start to burn so she turned her focus away to the window again with a light sniff.

Lash mentally groaned, bouncing the back of his head against the top of the bus seat. This was going to take more than a charming smile. Damn it all.

"So..." he started, searching for a conversation topic. "So..." She wasn't responding to the conversation prompt. A few seconds of silence ticked by before an idea struck.

"Oh, yeah!" he clapped his hands, turning as best as he could to face her with the bus's cross belts. "What was it you were going to ask me the other night?" When she didn't really respond, he tried to remind her. "You said that you wanted to ask me a question, said that it would involve commitment?"

She shook her head. "I-it's okay."

Good, some progress. "Go ahead, tell me. I did swear, remember?" He gave a smile which faltered when her form flickered briefly out of focus.

"I remember, but...it's okay," she said softly.

"Nah, really, go ahead and tell me about it," he encouraged, hopeful. But she only shook her head again.

"It's fine." His hand rested on her leg as he leaned closer.

"Aw c'mon, Sammy-"

This time she totally vanished, voice cracking, "I-I said it's fine, Lash. Y-you don't need to worry about it...It's not a big deal or a-anything..."

He looked at her empty seat, his hand touching her invisible leg for a moment before he pulled his hand away. But he did worry. He worried about her, about what he did, and about how it hurt her.

The bus slowed to a roll on their street after a few more quiet minutes. Lash turned and placed his hand down again. This time, he didn't feel her invisible form, or even the shock from when she went intangibile. She was gone. He looked out the window to see Sammy opening the front door to her house, disappearing inside.

He groaned. Finding his own phone, he went through his contacts until he landed on 'Speed'.

_Hey. Want 2 swing by l8tr? Got 2 talk about Blondie._

It only took a few minutes for a reply to come back.

_Yeah. Me 2._

* * *

Sammy closed the door behind her as she left for practice, deciding on talking to Lauren when she saw her there. She slung her bag across her body as she started to run to the theater. Headphones were placed comfortably in her ears, blocking out the sounds of her quick breaths.

There was a quick blur and she looked over her shoulder, only to see nothing. She shook her head to clear her thoughts. Her ponytail bobbed as she ran, bare arms exposed to the sun as she didn't feel like wearing the extra layer of her long sleeve that day. The air felt good on her face, fair skin soaking up the warm sunlight. It made her feel better.

Samantha was barely in the building when Lauren all but sprinted to her, tackling her in excitement. Wide blue eyes stared at her friend, steadying them both so that they wouldn't fall over.

"Ohmigawd, Sammy! Thank goodness you're here, you just won't believe it!" Lauren was a fellow dancer, Sammy's long time friend and her understudy. She was at least half a head taller than the blonde, with russet colored coils and straight across bangs and excited grey eyes. She took Sammy's hand, pulling her toward the auditorium. If there was ever a reason that Sammy couldn't perform her role, Lauren would be the one who was the most capable.

"What are you talking about?" laughed Sammy. Lauren only smiled more.

"We found a replacement! For Rob! And let me be the one to tell you that I am undeniably a genius! A genius I say!"

"Of course you are," agreed Sam. "But who did you find? And how? On such short notice!"

"Well, it took a little putting together, and asking around, and hoping, and just a little bit of begging but I got him!" she cheered. She pushed the door open and led her down the aisle.

"And not to mention that he's such a quick learner! He's already memorized the main counts! It's unreal!"

Lauren came to a skidding halt at the stage, pulling Sammy in front of her and calling up at the dancers who were already there.

"Hey, Sammy's here!"

There was a collective gasp and instantly chatter broke out among the girls, making Sam smile in curiosity.

"Come on now, who is it?" she finally asked. The formation parted and footsteps made their way over. It only took a few seconds for her new partner to be looking down on her from the stage and her heart just about stopped.

She was looking up at the one and only Warren Peace.

* * *

Lash was chilling at his house alone for the moment, waiting on his friend to arrive. Thankfully no one was home, because he didn't want to discuss any type of "feelings" with his family hanging around to eavesdrop and then badger him about it later.

Luckily, Speed wasn't known for being tardy and in no time proved it, knocking on the door. Lash hopped to feet and pulled the door open to reveal his sturdy partner in crime. He stepped inside with out any introduction, closing the door behind him.

"Hey man, so about-" started Lash, but he didn't get to finish. Speed had him up against the wall, grabbing him by his shirt and slamming him back.

"What. The. Hell," he all but growled.

"Dude, the fuck? Put me down!" yelled Lash. Not that Speed could ever really lift him off his feet, but he was definitely painfully pinned.

"What did you do?" Speed demanded, giving a shake. "What did you do to her to make her cry like that?"

"What are you talking about?" he asked. He didn't see anyone crying, let alone after something he did. Speed dropped him with a huff, rolling his eyes.

"I'm talking about Sammy! What did you do to her?" he stated a bit more plainly.

"I didn't do anything!" he defended. "She just ran off and was acting weird on the bus today, like she didn't want to talk or something." Because of him.

Speed took a breath. "Why did she run off?" His lanky friend shrugged, faking ignorance.

"I don't know. One minute we're there talking about Team Building homework, then Sparks comes up and starts talking and then bam! No more Blondie," he explained. Even though he looked, he couldn't find her.

"Sparks?" he repeated. "Amanda Sparks?"

Lash nodded. "Yeah. Why?"

"The girl you promised freshman year that you'd take her to Senior Prom?" he clarified. "Tall, with dark hair?"

"Is that why she kept talking about prom?" he asked, trying to find the memory. "I was wondering about that..."

Speed bit down on another aggravated growl. "Did she say anything else?"

"Not really. Kissed me, kind of, more like trying to drown me via tongue. Yuck," he gagged. The other Hero sighed again.

"What. Else," he gritted. "I thought you and Sammy were getting along now?"

"Yeah, we were," Lash answered honestly. "Everything was fine. We were getting homework done, Team Building and Training were going along, and she even stopped by the other night. Mom insisted that she stayed for dinner, the grandparents came over, we pretended to be dating, had a nice time, and then everything went back to normal-"

Speed's brow furrowed. "Wait, you pretended to be dating?"

"Yeah, because it was my grandparents, the ones who won't accept anything superhuman? They were the ones who visited." Lash ran a hand through his hair as he leaned against the door. He let out a yell of frustration as he bent down so to balance on the balls of his feet, head in his heads.

"Lash, don't tell me you kissed her," his friend warned. "Do not tell me you kissed her."

"Well of course I kissed her! It was for show," he defended. Speed closed his eyes, sensing where the story was going.

"And then?"

There was a heavy pause that stretched for minutes while the boys remained statuesque. Sun light streamed into the room through the windows, while one watched his best friend stare at the floor, unable to make eye contact.

"And I kissed her for real too. When no one was looking."

"Lash-"

"But we were pretending!" he interrupted, standing back up again. "We both knew this! I am not bound to this girl in any way, shape or form! I owe her nothing!"

Blinding pain erupted from his right eye, where Speed had punched him, the force sending him straight to the ground. Grabbing the front of his shirt again, he slammed him back to the wall.

"She is your SIDEKICK, your SUPPORT! And you, Lash, are her HERO!" shouted Speed, face close to his friend's. "You owe her that! She will defend you and protect until it fucking kills her, no matter how many times you hurt her!"

"Yeah? And just how do you know?" shouted back Lash, struggling to get free.

"Because I offered to take her to Powers so that she could put in a request to transfer Heroes," he retorted. "I was trying to make her feel better by providing choices but she wouldn't have it! She refused every type of help that I could think of, and she shot down every single option! You wanna know why?"

"Sure, why not?" snarked Lash. Speed slammed him back to bash some of the attitude out of his friend.

"She said that it's because she would never do anything that would possibly hurt you or your Hero career. That it was her job to protect you and that she would never back down from her responsibility to you," he reported, voice softer in tone. "That she would never betray you."

His fists unclenched, releasing Lash from the wall. The two friends stood staring at one another for a moment, before deciding that the one wasn't about to kill the other. Speed took a breath or two to collect himself before speaking again.

"And, man, if you like her then just _tell _her already."

Lash kept his silence for another moment. "She really said all that? What you just said?"

"Yes. And trust me, it was a fight to get her to even tell me what was wrong." He sighed. "You've at least apologized, right?" Lash awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck, clearing his throat.

"Um, well, I'm not sure if it came up in conversation, exactly-"

Speed only groaned. "Dude, you're hopeless!"

* * *

They performed the counts in perfect sync while the music played. He held her close to his powerful body, which was exactly how it was suppose to go. She learned a long time ago that you cannot successful dance with a partner if you hold him at an arm's length, no matter what boy germs they had. His hand securely held her own and her waist, and his footwork was solid. His breathing wasn't labored at all, showing that he was fully in control of his movements, not being overwhelmed by anything. The tempo, the style, the steps, or even her. He was completely calm.

Their steps were fluid, smooth and gracefully. It was very exciting to be dancing with Warren, as it was always a girlish daydream of hers, but it lacked something in her opinion. Spark. Excitement. Power. Maybe these observations were all in her head but it just seemed cold. Distant. Not to mention that her mind kept changing his appearance to match a taller boy with a fashion affinity for stripes.

She could imagine dancing with him. It would be fun, maybe a little messy, but the passion would be there. The want of trying to outdo the other. The emotions would override the choreography, and there would most likely be bickering, critique, and laughing. She smiled softly at the idea but it quickly fell because it wouldn't happen. He had other girls at his beck and call. Other girls who were powerful as well as beautiful. She was only his Sidekick.

The music died off and they ended in a pose that them pressed chest to chest, an arm around his neck, hand in his and her legs posed, feet off the ground due to their pose as well as their height difference. The other dancers clapped, clearly stating their approval for this new partner. They untangled and took a bow, happy with a job well done. The two walked off stage, allowing the younger girls to practice their routine for the time.

Sammy picked up two plastic water bottles, offering one to the fire Hero.

"Thanks," he said with a nod. She nodded, busy with cracking the seal and taking a big drink.

"Thanks so much," she said once she was rehydrated. They took a seat on the side stage steps, sitting right next to each other. "Seriously, it means so much that you agreed to help. We really needed you."

"Not a problem. I don't mind," he answered, deep voice rumbling. His dark hair with red was pinned back in a ponytail. Usually boys with long hair was a turn off for the blonde, but Warren could pull it off and not to mention, it looked very attractive on him.

"I'm actually glad your friend asked. Lauren, right?" Sammy nodded, smiling to herself. Lauren would be thrilled that he remembered her name.

"Really?" she asked. "Always secretly wanted to be in a recital?" He gave a short laugh, showing a quick smile that made her heart flutter like she was freshman all over again.

"Not quite," he laughed. "But it does give me the chance I needed to talk with you. Well, talk to you without the rest of the Stronghold posse'. No offense." Sammy shrugged.

"None taken. We're kind of a herd," she teased. He gave a half smile at that before speaking again.

"I wanted to ask for your opinion and your help with something," he asked. "If you're willing, that is." She turned slightly to speak face to face, heart rate picking up.

"Sure. Shoot," she said.

"Well, what's your opinion on Hero and Sidekick relationships? Romantically?" he asked, keeping his gaze on his water bottle.

"Um, I think they're fine."

"Even though they're different rankings?" he asked. She nodded.

"Sure, ranking doesn't affect relationships like forcing Heroes with Heroes and vice versa. It's up to you," Sammy explained. Her heart was pounding within her chest now. "There's nothing wrong with it."

"Because there's this girl," he slowly admitted. "And I've really wanted to ask her out for awhile now, but she's a Sidekick."

"Well don't let that stop you," chided Sammy. "If you like this girl, then-then ask her. Isn't always better to ask anyway?"

"And she's quiet too, likes to keep to herself." Sammy could see by his expression that he was slipping into a daydream focus, imagining the girl instead of making eye contact with her.

"R-really?" she asked. He nodded.

"Yeah, and I thought that I could get your opinion on it." Was this his round about way of asking her out? Her pulse was racing.

"Um, well...isn't it better to be direct? T-try to avoid all the beating around the bush and just flat out tell her? Especially if she's a quiet type, make sure your point is clear," advised Sammy. Warren turned and smiled at her, looking honestly relieved.

"I've been thinking about talking to Powers about observing her as my potential new Sidekick. I mean, her Hero wouldn't be upset over it and he could get possibly moved to a pair that has his friend, anyway," he added. He took another drink, allowing a pause to form.

"R-really? S-so you're going to ask her? This Sidekick?" stammered Sammy. He nodded, determined.

"I am. I think it's the right call." He stood up to toss the plastic bottle away and Sam could hear the dancers change to the next age group, a peppy pop song come from the sound system. She got up too, taking another sip as best as she could with her hand shaking.

"D-do you mind if I ask?" she asked politely. "Wh-who the Sidekick is?" Warren paused for a moment before her, within her personal distance due to the narrow stairwell. He nodded. Sammy could feel her knees wobble under her, but she held steady.

"Yeah, her name's Amelia Watson," he answered. "She's got dark brown hair, tall, wears sunglasses. Do you know which one I'm talking about?" Sammy managed to nod. She knew who she was. Who the girl that Warren Peace was sweet on.

"I-I wish you both the best of l-luck," she managed to squeak. His hand found her shoulder as he smiled at her.

"Thanks."

Today was just not her day. At all.

* * *

**REVIEW! Little twist hm? Well, I hope you readers enjoyed (especially Cerridwen-Maiden's Lauren)! Off to bed and to think about what's to come for our favorite Super Heroes! Gnight!**


	13. Chapter 13

_**Invisible Girl**_

**Chapter Thirteen**

Thunder clouds gathered again and Sammy sighed loudly. Did the weather just want to soak her every time she finished practicing? Dang crazy spring weather. She looked in her dance bag and found her polka dot umbrella, which she extended and opened victoriously. Lesson successfully learned from the last downpour that washed her into Lash's home like a drowned rat. A tremor of thunder passed and the rain was released, pitter pattering against her umbrella, leaving her rather dry. Goosebumps broke out over her skin from the chill since she wasn't wearing a jacket or sleeves, just the simple spaghetti straps from her leotard. The bottom of her jeans were starting to pick up water but it wasn't too bad, she was nearly home.

All she wanted to do was cook something hot to eat, curl up in a blanket, read a bit and fall asleep. Do what she could to block out her day. She would probably need a hot washcloth to put over her eyes, she could feel some puffiness due to to her previous crying. First, the encounter with Lash, and she knew that were pretetending the other night but that fact didn't soften the blow. The hurt that their time together was so easily brushed off. Then, she comes to find out that Warren Peace had been crushing on Amelia Watson, a girl who was similar to Sammy because of their quiet type natures, their Sidekick status, and the coincidence that they were usually near each other thanks to the alphabet with both last names starting with "W" and besides that, chance simply placed them near each other. After all this time thinking that maybe the bad-boy with fire had been secretly scoping her out was just a foolish illusion she herself had created. It was just the girl beside her.

"I mean, I knew the chances were slim and of course, all crushes come to an end but-" She stopped her thinking aloud when she arrived at her house and saw that someone was sitting on her front steps. The person was soaked to the bone as they waited, chin on their hand, eyes closed, and posture relaxed.

"Lash!" she called, jogging over to him. Her umbrella fell to her side as she knelt down to his level. She immediately saw the black eye, and she guessed that it was fresh by the vibrant color.

"Lash?" she called again, gently shaking his shoulder. He jolted awake, flailing backwards when he noticed that a person was in his personal space.

"Ah-shit-scared the crap outta me, Sammy!" he said, righting himself. "You really shouldn't sneak up on sleeping people-"

"Are you okay?" she interrupted. Now she was starting become soaked as well, umbrella completely forgotten as her Hero's well being was first priority. Before he could come up with a clever response to explain the black eye, Sammy hauled him to his feet and unlocked her front door, pulling him inside.

"Hey, you really don't need to-" Sammy promptly ignored him as she pulled him into the kitchen, making him take a seat on one of the bar stools. He opened his mouth to protest but she had hustled out of the room, returning with a few towels, using one to toss around his shoulder and the other to catch the falling water on the floor. Next, she picked up a small hand towel and soaked it with hot water, wringing it out and grabbed the bottle of peroxide and a box of band-aids.

"Listen, you don't have to. It's fine," defended Lash, a little embarrassed by the medical attention. Sammy stood on the towel, to catch her dripping water as well, and also so to be up close so she could fully see the damage.

"What happened?" she asked.

He sighed. "Speed punched me," he admitted sullenly. She quirked a brow.

"Any particular reason why?" She took the washcloth and gently dabbed at the split under his eye. Sammy was invading personal space but she didn't care at the moment. Her hand curved as she cradled the right side of his face as she pressed the towel against the injury with her other.

"You're really close," Lash bluntly observed. She was leaning in close, standing between his legs as she worked, paying no mind to the distraction it made for him. In fact, it was becoming increasingly difficult to focus with her so close.

"Mhm, so why'd he hit you? Were you training?" she guessed, applying a bit of pressure. Oblivious.

"No, we were talking." She leaned back to grab the peroxide, pouring small portion onto her towel.

"About what? Must've really ticked him off," she said, leaning close again to press the towel back to the cut.

"Well, yeah, we were talking about-OW! God dammit, woman, what was that?" he yelped, trying to pull away like a child. Sammy's free hand wrapped around the back of his neck to keep him still.

"Just cleaning the cut, you big baby," she teased, eyes trained on the injury.

"Aren't you suppose to put ice on a black eye? To bring the swelling down?" he guessed. She gave a little laugh.

"I'll give you ice once you're dry. As for right now, I can clean the cut and you can tell me why Speed found the reason to nail you in the eye. He got you good," she commented. He huffed, unhappy with being babied, but having her fuss over him was comforting in a way.

"We were talking about you," he confessed.

"Really?" she asked, keeping her gaze on his injury and her medical supplies, not looking him in the eye. She opened the box and unwrapped a pink band-aid, placing it on his cut. Her thumb brushed over it, making sure it was smooth and secure.

"He told me about what happened after the run in with Sparks." Sammy sighed and tried to take a step back, to create a distance. His arms had wrapped around her waist, locking in her position without any use of his power.

"He told me how I made you cry." Sammy tried to wiggle free but his grip held firm, keeping her close, standing between his legs while his arms encircled her. She gave a soft and breathy laugh.

"This isn't exactly the first time you've made me cry. You always pick on Sidekicks anyway. Freshman year you locked me in the janitor's closet," she reminded. He had the decency to look a bit sheepish.

"Ouch," he said. He shook his head so to refocus on the conversation at hand.

"But he told me about it, about how it hurt your feelings, and about how I'm an asshole," he continued. Sammy shrugged.

"I'll side with that," she agreed. "But I understand and I shouldn't have freaked out like that." Her tone was soft, trying to be calm and collected, but she was still hurt. "You did say that it was only pretend and it's my fault for-"

Lash took her face in his hands and brought her to him in a kiss. His kiss was so determined that he didn't let go until they absolutely had to breathe. Even then, he kept their faces close, noses touching.

"Sammy," he started. "I'm sorry. It's not your fault, it's mine for trying to use you as a cover."

Her eyes were becoming glassy as she pulled back, still caught by his arms.

"Y-you can't keep doing that!" she cried.

"Doing what?" She gave a forceful shove, nearly tipping him from the seat but he stayed upright, holding onto her.

"You can't keep k-kissing me!" she said. "Especially if you don't mean it!"

"Who said anything about not meaning it?" he asked, standing up as well. The tears burned again as they made their way down her cheeks but she didn't even care.

"I know, okay? I know about the random girls. Nurse Spex told me about the strawberry lipgloss. Speed told me about the promise you made to Sparks way back in freshman year. Not to mention that every chance Layla gets she tells me about how I'm so unfortunate to get you for a Hero-"

"What?" he yelped. The hippie would bash him that much? If he remembered correctly, she was one of the random girls at one time or another. And Speed and Spex sold him out? Can't trust anyone to keep their mouth shut.

"-But I always defend you! So please, do not use me!" she begged. She ripped herself out of his hold and walked over to a cabinet to grab a plastic bag and moved to the freezer. Lash followed after her closely.

"I'm not going to use you!" he defended. She opened the freezer door and started to fill the bag with ice cubes. He spun her so that they were face to face again, bag of ice on the countertop.

"I am not going to use you!" he repeated. She kept her watery gaze focused on him.

"I'm sorry if I say that I have a hard time believing that," she told him. He groaned aloud, taking a step back only to turn around quickly and be upon her again.

"Why is it so hard to believe?" he asked. "Why is it so hard to trust me?"

"I trust you just fine," answered Sam honestly. "I trust you to watch my back. I trust you to help me when I need it-"

"So what's the problem?" he exasperated.

"I just-I just can't u-understand-" He grabbed her by her shoulders, leaning in close.

"What don't you understand?" he asked, sounding tired. "Just tell me Sammy. Just freakin' tell me."

Her voice started to catch. "I-I just d-don't understand...what is it th-that makes this different? Wh-what makes your words true this time? As oppose to the other girls you've said this line to? Because I-I want to be your Sidekick, Lash, I really do. And if anything else comes from it, that's great, but please, I don't want us to turn into some...crazy, complicated mess..."

There was a long pause. The silence was so loud it was almost deafening. Sammy slowly freed herself from his grip and resumed filling the bag of ice. Once it was sealed, she led the dumbstruck Lash to the chair again so to carefully set the bag of ice against his swollen eye.

Lash's mind was racing. What made this girl different? Why did he want to be with her? Why did he want to impress her so bad? Why did he want to be in her good graces? She was not his usual type of girl. He typically went after loose girls with no standard. Girls who were tall, stunningly beautiful, and not so intelligent. Girls who did not want to be in a committed relationship or want anything beside his body.

A memory flashed. When he was in Sammy's room, cradling her to him while she cried from the Phantom terror. The way she held to him like he was her lifeline, her only defense. She wasn't trying to get lucky with him. Wasn't trying to make any sort of advance. She wanted him there because she knew and trusted him. She trusted him to keep her safe. For him to protect her.

His hand raised and covered Sammy's, holding her there to him and the ice bag. His brown gaze lifted to hers, taking in her fair skin, the trademark white blonde hair and the light blue eyes that looked stunning in the sunlight. Her height and build were attractive to him, no matter how often he called her short. Her timidity and good nature was stark in contrast to his mocking and bullying ways.

"Because I want...to be your Hero, Sammy..." he answered softly. "That's what makes you different to me..."

Her wide blue eyes stared at him, startled by his response. Slowly, he lowered her hand and the ice, dropping the bag onto the small island countertop. He took both of her hands in his, thumbs brushing over the tops. They were slender and delicate in comparison to his own wide, tough hands. Brown eyes looked back up to see her still watching him, tears still quietly rolling down her face. He could hear her quick breaths, see how she was trying to remain resolute. Gently, he pulled her closer, opting to slip one arm around her waist while the distance closed, now their foreheads resting against each other.

They stood quietly together for quite some time, his arm locked around her while she held his hand tightly, shaking as the free hand gripped the damp material of his shirt sleeve. He didn't force his way, even though he desperately wanted to get rid of the distance and kiss her so bad. He remained in control and he was going to wait for her approval. He was going to wait. Even though Lash Livingston was not a patient person, he would wait for her answer.

Sammy couldn't stop shaking. Her heartbeat resounded in her ears, pounding. She was weak in the knees, if had to move she would most likely fall in a faint. In fact, it was all she could do from going under right then. There wasn't a coherent thought running through her head, only massive amounts of emotion. Sadness from being used, disappointment from Warren, anger and defiance at the thought of being used again, shock, and now, happiness was starting to rise. He wanted to be her Hero. Hers.

"I'm so sorry, Sammy," he apologized again. She kept her eyes closed, the tears nearly dry now. It took a couple of tries, but she finally got her voice to work again, softly whispering.

"Then yes...you can kiss me..."

This time, he didn't drag her into the kiss like the other times. Instead, he slowly brought his mouth to hers, allowing her to feel how well they fit together. The sensation sent electricity throughout her system, the delicate hairs the back of her neck standing on end. Her free hand slid up, curving carefully around his neck, using the current height advantage to its extent. His grip tightened, bringing her body flush to his as he kissed her. Slowly, he moved to a standing position, arms wrapping around her waist, lifting her and placing her on the island's counter. Now they were at a better height level, with his being the dominant one.

Neither one noticed the flickering image of a white haired man at the kitchen's windowpane, glaring with icy blue eyes that flashed red.

* * *

**REVIEW! So some success as Sammy and Lash work out their differences, but life hasn't settled down just yet! Until next time!**

**p.s: Just wanted to make it clear that I absolutely love having you guys as my reviewers. It really makes me feel great getting a review from readers, especially you readers who've been with me for awhile now, whether it be this story or any of the others I've created. I always love it when I can start to recognize the screen names, it seriously makes my day. So thank you guys so much and I hope you keep enjoying the story!**

**Happy Easter everyone!**


	14. Chapter 14

_**Invisible Girl**_

**Chapter Fourteen**

"Hey, so today's your day with the gym course from hell," reminded Lash. They were boarding the school bus and Sammy put her ipod away in her bag, finding her usual seat.

"I know," she answered. "I-I'm a little nervous..." Lash took his designated spot next to her. Other students didn't even give her seat a second glance as the stripe Hero was always the one who filled it without fail. And they certainly did not want to cross him. Which was fine by her, she enjoyed being near him, he was always warm.

"Nah, don't be," he reassured. His hand found hers and she blushed at the contact. Her fingers slipped into the spaces between his and she was surprised how well they fit together. She leaned against his arm, comfy.

"Well, it's a bit scary. It'll be just me against whatever Coach Boomer thinks I'll fail against," she elaborated, brows furrowing in concern.

Lash shrugged. "It can go any way, Blondie. We don't know much about them since he plays the Sidekicks first." She bounced her blonde head against the back of the seat.

"Of course. And Coach is so original as to start at the _end _of the alphabet," she muttered. Lash laughed out loud, his smile making her smile despite the pout.

Layla turned in her seat to look back at her friend. Lash was sitting next to Sammy again, like he did on a regular basis now. Their pairing had always set Layla on edge, she was uncomfortable with them together all the time. She couldn't help but smirk when she saw the faded black eye that the bully sported. The smirk quickly faded when Lash bent down to whisper something to the blonde. He was very close, absolutely invading personal space and Sammy wasn't forcing him away, actually, she was leaning toward him. She turned and whacked Will on the shoulder, motioning urgently for him to turn around.

"You don't think that they..." started Layla, looking to her boyfriend. "That they're...together? Do you?" Will stole another glance back before shrugging.

"It's really hard to tell, Layla," he answered. "Can't say I understand the mindset of a high school villain." She sighed, leaning against the son of Commander and Jetstream. The closeness and not to mention that Sammy still wore the one striped fingerless glove on her left hand. Whatever that meant.

"I certainly hope not..."

The bus landed in the Sky High parking lot relatively gracefully that morning. Sammy and Lash filed out with the rest of the students, and that was when the tall Hero noticed attention being sent his way, the feeling of eyes on his skin. He looked off to the side, the exact direction that Sammy was walking due to her friends waiting for her. He smirked, they were all glaring at him, more so than usual. The idea clicked and his smirk stretched. Oh, he knew exactly how to really get under their skin.

Sammy had just slowed to a stop, issuing the typical morning greetings to her friends. Before the "Hello" could completely leave her lips, the familiar soft rope whipped around her waist and brought her straight to Lash where he promptly pulled her up into a deep kiss which made her gasp, wide eyed. He only released her when there was the chance of passing out from the lack of oxygen. Carefully, he placed her on her feet, giving his best smile.

"See you later, Sammy," he smiled. He took off quickly once Mr. Boy started to call after him about PDA or some sort. He laughed aloud, meeting up Speed and making a clean getaway.

Sammy slowly turned around to face a wary group of Sidekicks and Heroes.

"Um...ha ha...?" she laughed sheepishly.

* * *

Sammy took her seat on the bleachers, hands wringing in her lap as the waited for the rest of the class to file in. She visably jumped when someone sat beside her, startled.

"Sorry, didn't mean to scare you." Amelia Watson pushed her sunglasses up into her dark brown hair, allowing the blonde to see the light pink birthmark that dashed across her nose and to the far corner of her left eye.

"I-it's all right," she excused. "I'm just nervous about the run is all."

"Don't be. You'll be fine," she reassured. A bubble of silence passed before she spoke up again.

"Hey, I'm sorry about Warren. About the way you found out." Sammy regarded her oddly, brow furrowed.

"Um, I don't know what you're talking about?" Amelia gave a half smile, tapping her temple.

"Sorry, I'm a head case," she laughed. "I get ahead of myself sometimes. Power of the mind is my thing, that's how I knew." A blush tinged her cheeks under Sammy's wide eyed gaze.

"Wow, that's really cool," awed Sammy. Amelia pulled the sunglasses from her hair, opting to twirl them in her lap.

"Thanks. I noticed it when Warren was talking to me today, and I felt like...I should apologize...or something. Even though I'm not "technically" suppose to know, but sometimes I just can't block things out. It's like they're really loud," she rambled. "Um, so I'll get out of your hair, Lash will be wanting this seat." Sammy looked around but did not see the striped boy wonder. Amelia laughed and tapped her temple again.

"He's thinking about it, kind of loud. Remember, head case," she teased. Sammy smiled and gave a wave as the taller girl walked away to another seat, sunglasses back on to conceal the birthmark.

A few beats later, more students started to file into the gym, changed into the gym clothes like the blonde. Speed appeared in the seat to her left as a blur and Lash reached her right seat in one easy stride.

"What's up?" asked Speed. Sammy smiled up at him, quietly appreciative of how he defended her against Lash. Even if it resulted in violence, though well deserved.

"Not much. Just dreading my run," she answered. Lash nudged her shoulder with his own, sighing.

"You'll be fine, Blondie," he said. "It's only going to last a few minutes, that's all." She nodded in understanding. The longest three minutes of her life, she predicted.

"Listen up!" called Coach Boomer, standing on his refereeing tower, clipboard in hand. "Today we start the practice runs! Sidekicks are up first," He paused to check his list, reading the name of his first victim. Sam closed her eyes.

"WINCHESTER! Go suit up!"

"Yes, Coach Boomer," she answered, getting to her feet. Oh boy...

Sammy had changed into her P. E. gear and was waiting outside the "arena" for her power run. There wasn't any way that she could keep still. She hopped from foot to foot, stretching her arms across her body, retied her shoes to make sure they were tight and redid her ponytail to make sure that it wouldn't come free.

"Alright Winchester, you've got three minutes to defeat your course," explained Boomer. The clock flipped to the three minute mark. "GO!"

The doors opened and she ran out to the course. Instantly, a flurry of spears were sent her way and she vanished entirely, diving into a somersault. She was back on her feet, and in sight, looking around for the next threat. The lights overhead started to flicker and she looked up, trying to locate the source. Was this apart of her course? The lights were apart the actual building. The ground beneath her started to quake and she took off towards the tree formation, jumping and swinging onto the low branch to keep her feet off the ground as the hole opened up, swallowing her previous spot.

So far, so good.

* * *

Lash watched Sammy's form intensely, brown gaze never straying as he leaned forward on his knees. She vanished and weaved effortlessly, avoiding the danger and finding the safe spots. He could hear someone make their way over to him, taking the empty seat beside him. Out of his peripheral vision, he saw red hair.

"So," she started. He could feel her glaring a hole into the side of his head and he smirked under her focus.

"So, what?" he snarked. The gym lights flickered and his brow furrowed. That was odd.

"So, as Sam's friend, I will not stand for you to use her like some toy!" she whispered, indignant. Now there was a low hum sounding. Sammy clearly heard it too, staying on the branch, trying to look around to spot the source. Layla was still ranting in his ear, her voice becoming an irritating buzz. The low humming was also continuing and he couldn't quite tell, but there was an almost a tremoring underfoot.

"-you're a no good bully and Sammy doesn't deserve that-" He whipped to face her, almost wanting to wring her neck.

"Would you shut up!" he whispered back. The temperature was dropping and the lights were blacking out and struggling to come back on. Sammy jumped down from the tree, looking up at Coach Boomer.

"Coach? Is this apart of my run?" she asked.

This time the lights blacked out completely. There were murmurs among the students and Boomer grouching about the Mad Science lab's interference. Lash strained to see in the dark gym, trying to make shapes come into focus. The hairs on the back of his neck were standing on end, there was something wrong. Minutes passed and the lights had yet to turn on again. Something very wrong, especially when Sammy's scream cut through the air the like a knife.

"_LASH!_"

* * *

"Hello Samantha." His greeting was cool and collected, almost polite. Sam backed against the tree, whole body shaking. She wasn't dreaming this time, he was really here. Right here in front of her. The stark white hair, and ice blue eyes that somehow stood out against his death pale skin. Her throat grew tight in fear, the kiss scar hidden under Lash's glove throbbed the longer she stared at him.

"L-Lash..." she whispered. Not loud enough.

Phantom stepped closer, his footsteps soundless. He extended his hand to her, as if expecting her to accept it. "Come now. Show me your power." Then he lunged at her, open palm going through her chest as she went intangible with a yelp.

"Good, quick reflex," he commented. Sammy dove to the side, rolling back onto her feet to take her own defensive stance. To her surprise, Phantom mirrored her. They both stood in a stance with their legs evenly spread, knees slightly bent and hands up in an open palm style.

"Aha, very nice," noted Phantom. "Not to mention that you can still see me even in the dark."

Sammy took a breath. "G-go away. Y-you have...n-no reason to be here..." He raised a brow, a half smile forming, and then he was laughing. He was laughing at her.

"You still don't understand?" he asked, amused. "You still don't see our resemblance?" His form flickered but her eyes remained trained on him.

"See? Right now no one can see me, but you. Only you Samantha, and do you know why?" he asked.

"L-Lash...!" she tried calling, but her voice faded away. He chuckled at her attempt.

"No no, Sammy. No calling for that Hero of yours," he chided, once again upon her with his hand around her throat. He smirked at her wide eyed gaze. "Yes, I know about him too."

His free hand grabbed the side of her face, pressing into her temple. Flashes of images raced across Sammy's vision. A younger Phantom walking with a girl with blonde hair. The angling changed and Sam could see that the girl was her mother. Golden blonde hair and blue eyes, it was easy to recognize her. In the images, Phantom was smiling too, kissing the girl.

"You see?" he asked. "You. Are. Mine. And all I had to do was wait for the perfect moment to bring you into the world. My greatest creation." This time, Sammy lunged at him with an open palm hit, going for his shoulder. He smirked as he parried her blow easily. His hand slipped past her defenses and went for her chest. Sammy's form flickered while Phantom's remained solid. Wide blue eyes stared straight ahead, stunned while she struggled for air.

The heart pounded rapidly against his palm, straining to break free from his fist. Her figure flickered rapidly, trying to find an escape route. No luck. Her breathing was in quick bursts, straining. Her hands griped his arm, trying to pull him off, digging her nails into him.

"L...L..." she gasped. The room was still dark, but Phantom was right in front of her, clear as day. No one outside her run was reacting, no one knew.

"No no, I won't let you go yet, Samantha. We still need to have a proper...father-daughter chat," he smirked. She shook her head, gathering enough air for one breath. A high pitch, piercing scream.

"_LASH!_"

* * *

**REVIEW! Your thoughts would be loved loved loved as always! Hope you enjoyed!**


	15. Chapter 15

_**Invisible Girl**_

**Chapter Fifteen**

"_LASH_!"

"_SAMMY_!" he called back, voice bouncing around the gym. He jumped to his feet, stumbling down the stairs as he tried to run in the dark. Speed was quick on his heel, fumbling to find the enterance to the small man-made arena. No luck.

"Zach! Warren! Give us a light!" instructed Amelia, shoving the sunglasses to the top of her hair. Brown eyes were wide as they fluttered side to side, mind whirling as her left fingertips pressed against her temple. The gears in her head were working in overtime to draw up a vision and a plan. "Coach Boomer! There's a villain in there! Someone ...Phantom! His name's Phantom! And he's got Sam!"

Zach moved to the center of the steps and a moment later he was emitting a bright green glow, working as well as the gym's regular lighting. Warren became a full torch, sending those nearest to him scrambling for a safe location from the flames. The inside of the arena was visible again, Sam and Phantom's shapes vague as they flickered in and out of focus.

"Coach! Open the doors!" called Speed, returning after circling the arena multiple times. No available entryway.

"They're locked in place until the three minutes are up! With the power out, I can't rig them open!" explained Boomer. Lash swore loudly.

"Well fuck this shit!" He reached up and grabbed a ceiling beam, lifting himself up and dropping himself on the interior side. His Sidekick and the villain were straight ahead, locked in some kind of stalemate. Not thinking of any kind of plan, he charged. Legs pumping hard, arms cutting through the air as he closed the distance.

Phantom glanced at him at the corner of his eye and smirked. Smirked at him. Blood pounding hotly through his viens, he let out a yell as he dove to tackle the freak. Only to close around nothing, diving into the ground with painful force.

"Larry! Will! Bring down the wall!" called Amelia, her voice carrying over.

Suddenly, Sammy and Phantom broke apart. The distractions must have given her the upper hand for the moment. Lash was back on his feet, sending his arms out to encircle Phantom, but again, he grabbed nothing. This time, Phantom actually laughed.

"Sit down, boy," he chided. "Maybe then I'll pay some attention to you. Not that you're worth the time-" His rant was interrupted when Sammy struck his jaw, snapping his head up. He was only stunned for a second before they were completely engaged.

Lash could hardly follow the two as they were always shifting in and out of focus. The wall tremored as "Little" Larry charged the structure, blasts of fire spraying up from Warren. The Hero could only stand, form slightly defensive as he tried to follow his Sidekick. He felt useless. How could he fight or defend Sammy from something he couldn't touch or see?

_"If your Hero was trapped in a situation that would render their power useless, how would you assist them?" Lash gave an unbecoming snort._

_"Please, as if _I _would ever be rendered useless. You, definitely, but not me."_

The pair moved fluidly, dancing around the other, sweeping in for a strike. Sometimes they were solid and visable, othertimes Lash had to guess their spot by their breathing. Phantom was larger than Sammy but she was holding her own, though breathing hard. More than three minutes had passed, in fact, they were going on ten straight minutes of arena time.

There was a crash as Larry, Warren, and Will managed to break down the wall. Boomer let out a deafening roar, making Lash cover his ears to save his own hearing as the glass windows shattered, spraying the shards. More Heroes and Sidekicks were starting to fill the gym, alert and on guard. Principle Powers appeared as well, demanding answers from Boomer while the other senior Heroes were trying to flood the arena and flush out Phantom.

Nothing worked.

The two kept exchanging blows, locked in their fight. It was obvious that Sammy was wearing out fast yet she plowed on. They were untouchable. There was no way to tackle one and pry them apart. Lash continued to watch, locked in a defensive stance, waiting for a moment to spring into the fight, but there was nothing he could do. As they moved they were either intangible or invisible, sometimes both. It seemed as if they could hurt each other as Phantom growled every now and again as Sammy cried out.

_Sammy, Sammy, Sammy..._ he chanted over and over in his head. There was nothing he could do. Nothing.

Sammy was breathing hard, her chest stabbing with pain as she continued to move. The worst possible thing she could do would be to stop moving. Then he would catch her. Then he would hurt her. Well, really hurt her, in comparision to the bruising he's putting on her now. He dipped low, leg swinging out to catch her by the ankles. She jumped yet he still caught her, just barely, but enough to send her to the ground. Her head hit the floor hard, jerking her into her solid and visible state. Phantom was upon her, pinning her down as he smirked. His hand found her temple, fingertips digging.

"It's been a pleasure, darling."

Then all was black.

* * *

It was a warm and sunny day. The sky was clear, the birds were singing. It was perfect. James Falcono was walking down the street, a small bouquet of flowers in his hand. His white blonde hair was pushed back away from his bright blue eyes as he smiled to himself. Today was the day. Definitely today. He was going to ask her.

He was going to ask the beautiful Mary Jones to marry him. With her golden blonde hair and easy smile, she always made his heart flutter. They had been dating for more than a year now, and they were both done with school so there was nothing restraining him. Sure, they went to different schools but he loved her anyway, despite their differences.

Even if he was a Hero and she was some little civilian. She was the minor exception to his iron clad rule.

_Sam...my...Sammy! Can...hear...me?_

The scene swirled, refocusing on the young Phantom and the girl he loved. It was sunset, the last warm rays of the day melting away in the sky. Mary looked at him with wide deep blue eyes, startled by his proposal. She looked stunning in her light blue sundress, the length moving in the wind.

"J-James...this can't work..." she tried to explain, rather pale. His smile started fall away.

"What do you mean?" he asked slowly. She struggled for a moment, trying to find the right way to phrase her statement. She started to fiddle with the edge of her shirt, nervous.

"Y-you can't be asking me to marry y-you...You told me just the other day th-that people were...were just toys! To be manipulated!" She shook her head, blonde curls waving. She was visibly shaking. "Because...because we're not like you!"

He rose to his full height, the air around him growing dangerous. The flowers were left on the ground as the sun disappeared entirely. His voice was growing cold, sharp.

"And just what does that mean?" Her eyes were glassy with unshed tears as she caved.

"Y-you're...a bad guy, James! You're a villain! Y-you think that I'm beneath you, th-that we're all beneath you!"

"Because you are. All of you."

_Sammy...Please...!_

Again, the scene morphed, taking the form of a sterile white hospital. Mary had moved on from him, marrying some Marine, leaving him to be forgotten in the past. Phantoms are never meant to be forgotten. _He _was never to be forgotten.

The white room was displayed by the large window leading out into the hallway. James phased through the wall, invisible to the human eye. About a dozen of clear baby cradles were orderly lined inside the room. He drifted past a few, nothing more than a shadow. His feet brought him to the center cradle, a small baby girl sleeping soundly.

"Aha, there you are. Little Samantha Winchester," he said, tone scathing. He leaned against her cradle, so that he was looming over her. She stirred lightly, his voice daring to wake her. He smirked down at the baby.

"You know, right now, you're just some little, pathetic bundle. In fact, you're not going to amount to much. Not with your genetic make up." He returned to his physical state, though still invisible. His fingers brushed over her soft baby skin, over the pink round cheeks, tracing her tiny lips. So delicate. So fragile. Perfect.

Slowly, he pulled out a syringe, tapping the vial to clear it of air bubbles. A dangerous smirk was starting to form, canines lengthening. The sharp needle point pressed against the tender skin, slipping beneath the surface. Blue, iridescent liquid slowly oozed in the little girl's system. Wide blue eyes snapped opened before she started to cry out, the foreign substance now fully pumping through her miniature veins.

"There," he sighed, content. "_Now_, you'll amount to something."

* * *

Gasping, Sammy sat bolt upright, wide eyed and startled. Before her surroundings could register, she double over in pain, crying out. Arms encircled her immediately, the sight of stripes reassuring.

"Sam..! Sam...my...!" It took a minute for his voice to register, her senses heavily muted. She was scarcely aware of her lips moving.

"Lash?" she called. Nothing. She kept her eyes closed due to the fire hot pain. "Lash!" The arms tightened around her, drawing her to chest. Her body shook with tears and shudders of pain, but the world was still eerily quiet. Cold fear was starting to claw at her chest. Scared blue eyes looked up at her Hero, tears fogging her vision.

"Lash?" she called. His mouth moved in answer. She caught snippets of his words, but nothing coherent, maybe her name. Pulse spiked and heart thundered, her hand grabbed the side of her head, a splitting headache resounding with a vengeance.

"I-I can't hear you," she tried to say. He looked down at her, concerned and his mouth moved, saying something. This time, she heard none of it. "I-I-I can't...I can't hear you...!" Her breath was catching in her throat, making it difficult to breathe. "Wh-why can't I...h-hear...?" The room was starting to spin as she continued to fight for air. "L-Lash...!"

Doctors swarmed the bed, prying Lash away from the patient. The were Hero doctors, but that didn't make Lash trust them anymore than he absolutely had to. They were the ones who were going to help Sammy. They pushed her down flat on the bed and in a few minutes she was back under. Few theories were exchanged, but the most likely was that her hearing was damaged under Coach Boomer's attack. Most likely. The Hero stole a look between the men, the bruising and battered body of his Sidekick obvious. Principle Powers was quick in organizing transport to the nearest Hero specialized hospital. Lash was given permission to go with her as he was her Hero. He certainly didn't feel like a Hero. Especially Sammy's.

The moment Phantom was gone, there was madness and deafening noise. Security had to be checked, property damages, and distressed students. Lash could scarcely remember. He remembered skidding on his knees as he dropped beside the blonde. He remembered picking up her lithe form, trying to shake her awake. Trying to call her to consciousness. Screaming her name. He could recall how his blood was boiling with anger, how his eyes were glazed with tears of frustration. There was so much noise and confusion, Speed tried to pry him away but that failed as he was locked in place.

He dropped into the small chair in the corner, leaning forward on his knees, head held in his hands.

* * *

Sammy woke up again to sunlight streaming in the white room. Relief was instant as she could hear the tiny beeps of machinery, the footsteps in the hallway and more prominently, snoring. Blonde brows furrowed, she looked to the side to see Lash out cold in the chair. Head lolled back, mouth open wide with snoring. A smile slowly spread across her face, the sight funny and relaxing all at once. She made a move to go over to him, but she was still wired to some sort of machine and her legs still felt like they had they structure of water. Looking around, she found a couple of napkins by the remains of food. She crumpled them tightly and took aim, giving the toss a nice arch so to peg Lash square in the face.

He snorted awake, half jumping to partial alert. Sammy laughed aloud, clutching her throbbing ribs but still laughing all the same. She even gave a snort, trying to cover her mouth.

"Y-your...face!" she wheezed. "Oh my gosh, that was so great!" Lash rubbed his eyes, trying to gather his bearings.

"Sammy?" he asked. She nodded, sitting back up. Catching her breath, she scouted over on the bed and patted the open space.

"Could you come here? I'm hooked up to something still," she asked, only a vague tremor in her voice. It took only two good strides before he was beside her, still taller than her even when sitting.

"Sammy, I-" She cut him off by throwing her arms around him in a tight hug, burying her face in his chest. She could feel his arms around her, grip secure and painfully tight on her recent injuries, but it was all right.

"I'm so sorry Sammy. I'm sorry I couldn't help you. Th-that I couldn't protect you-" Her hands slid up as she pulled his face down to hers, locking him in a kiss to drown out his apologies. To drown out everything. His apologies, her pain, the memories. It needed to all go away. Lash returned the vigor of the kiss, grip digging into her body so to hold onto her. So not to let her go so that she could fall in harm's way. So he could be her Hero.

_I'm sorry I couldn't save you..._

* * *

**REVIEW! Please and thank you! Can't wait to hear your thoughts on this new info!**


	16. Chapter 16

_**Invisible Girl**_

**Chapter Sixteen**

Days had passed since the Phantom showdown and since then, Sammy had been discharged from the hospital, hearing fully restored though her body was still a bit sore. The gym and school had been corrected, security reinforced. She was even going back to her dance practices, fellow dancers thinking she had just been in a car accident. Everything was back to normal.

Well. _Mostly_ back to normal.

There were the dreams. The ones where Phantom stepped out of every shadow, forcing her to fight, draining her of her strength. He made her fight and fight until every ounce of strength was his again. Taking back the ability that was rightfully his. Then she would wake up scared, terrified that she would wake up to a silent world. More often than not she would catch herself calling for Lash, but she fought the urge to call for him from her window or send a text message. Better to try to deal with it on her own, she didn't want to burden him with her night terrors. So she buried her face in her pillow to smother her own voice, keeping her phone out of reach.

Lash was different as well, if just a bit. He refused to let Sammy out of his sight with the exception of a few moments or classes. He became jittery when she wasn't around, distracted. It was absolutely eating away at him that he couldn't protect his Sidekick. Sure, they still bantered and laughed and had a great time picking on each other and flirting. But if there was a long enough lull or if a particular nerve was struck, he would flashback to the fight and pull Sammy to his side, to be sure that she was physical and protected. He couldn't help it. It was becoming compulsive.

Speed was a constant presence now since Warren Peace had arranged for Amelia Watson to become his Sidekick. Which was fine by all the seniors as Lash and Speed work well together and it was hardly an adjustment on Sammy's part. She liked working with him, he helped her with the combat training while Lash allowed her to practice long distance. Even with the training and the constant presence of people, Sammy would still feel those eyes on her and every now and again, jump and her breath would hitch. Yet there was no one to be seen, even with her eyes.

"Hey, what're you doing tonight?" Lash asked Sam.

They were currently laying out in the courtyard during their break, the three man team, The Triad. A name some Sidekick had dubbed them and since, it stuck. They were the only three man team and the teachers even used the term. They didn't mind, and it was interesting to work as a team rather than a pair. Speed was sitting against the trunk of the tree while Lash was laying out on his back and Sammy made herself comfortable, head resting on his torso as she read her book. It was nice and sunny outside, perfect for laying about and avoiding homework. Actually, Sammy was reading up on their lesson, Speed messing with his ipod while Lash was trying to catch a nap.

"I've got practice," she told him, turning the page. He groaned childishly, arms flopping out to the sides.

"You always have practice!" he whined. She gave a short laugh at his antics while Speed gave a short roll of his eyes before closing them again, hoping to get some z's himself.

"Well, the recital's coming up, so of course I have practice," she reasoned. "And Lauren wants to go dress shopping afterwards."

"Dress shopping?" he quirked a brow. "Lame."

Now she rolled her eyes. "_Prom _dress shopping. Totally different and not lame." Her head lifted with his exaggerated breath as she was resting against his chest and she smiled at his attitude, amused.

"Is prom really that soon?" asked Lash, brow furrowing. "I thought we still had another month?" Samantha closed her book and set it to the side, blue eyes closing. They still had a bit of time until their next class.

"Nope. Next weekend," she answered. "But we've been busy with the recital we haven't had a proper chance to go shopping yet."

"What? A couple of girls who didn't get their dress three years before the dance? I'm shocked, seriously," snarked the Hero. Huffing, Sam tried to whack him on the shoulder but he simply caught her hand, opting to hold it instead.

They had quiet moments like this too. When they would just stay still, connected to each other somehow. Sometimes they would doze off to sleep and other times they would just allow the moment to play out peacefully. Usually it was ended with a joke or a particularly good reason to fuss in good humor. They had their first "quiet moment" when Lash had insisted on following her to practice one day. He had pestered her all day about watching her dance and she had finally caved and agreed for him to come sit in one of the back rows of the theater.

Lash had to give her credit. His Sidekick knew how to dance. At first he wasn't overly impress with all of the younger kids dancing and performing their routines. Yes, it was slightly adorable when they didn't know what on earth they were suppose to be doing, and yes, it was funny to see Sammy in her tights helping out the kids who were so short next to her. Hearing the kids call her "Miss Sam" made him snort and watching the guys prance in tights and slippers just about had him in silent stitches. It was when Sammy started her scene, the finale as he learned, when he seriously paid attention.

It was just her on the stage, center spotlight following her as she moved across the floor. The live music traveled well, reaching his back row without difficulty and she stepped to every beat. Like each time she took a step, she pressed an instrument's key. It was very interesting to watch. The music was dramatic and increased in the dynamics as she moved, leaping high into the air. Suddenly, there was an upset in the music and Sammy turned to look at the back corner, opposite to her.

Warren Peace stepped onto the stage and Lash tensed. He was dressed entirely in black, not that he was surprised, and he approached Sammy confidently, her own steps well trained as she moved to him, attracted like a magnet's pull. The fire wielder quickly became coupled with the ghost girl, their movements mirroring each other. Lash's gaze turned into a glare the longer he watched them dance together. Peace, with all his dark and brooding intent that made him such a desirable character to the girls, while Sammy was light and happiness personified. They worked well together and that just ticked him off even further, fuming in his solitary back row. He didn't like Peace dancing with his Sidekick, his girlfriend. He didn't like how close they were. He didn't like how good they looked in their roles. He especially didn't like how Peace could kiss her if he ever so wished.

Sure, Peace had his new Sidekick, that Amelia Watson chick, and yeah, Sammy was his girlfriend. There was no reason for them to kiss. They were just doing their job and the girls were lucky that Warren agreed to help them out. Lash folded his arms as he slouched in his squeaky chair, bitter about their close proximity. They were just practicing a routine, but it sure as hell didn't mean he had to like it.

Afterwards, Sammy hurried to pull on her jeans and meet him back at his lonely row, breathless and cheeks glowing from the practice, dance bag loose in her grip. She apologized for taking so long, blonde hair mussed and coming free from her ponytail as she smiled up at him. The jealousy from before was completely washed away as he took her hand and led them outside so to start walking home, bag tossed across her body now.

Their conversation was short, focusing on his opinion of the recital and Sammy promising that it would be so much better with uninterrupted music and costumes. Lash laughed and said that the best part was the Warren-badass-Peace jumping about in tights and that he would never forget the moment as long as he lived. Shortly after, Lash noticed that Sammy's footsteps were dragging, slow, which was odd since Sammy was usually an exceptional walker and always kept pace with him. Glancing over, he saw her dazed expression, like she was trying to figure out how to sleep and walk without sidestepping into traffic.

So, without formal warning, Lash scooped up the girl into his arms, which made her gasp in surprise. She protested at first, but he was determined and could overpower her if she tried to get down. It didn't take long for her to accept her fate and she wrapped her arms around his neck, head lowered.

_ "Hey Sammy,"_ he started after the first block of silence. It was nice. To be able to be with each other and not say anything.

_ "Mm?"_ she managed.

_ "I'd like to learn your dance." _She didn't fidget as much as he expected her too at the question. She must be really close to sleeping.

_ "Really?"_

_ "Yeah. I mean, no way am I wearing tights or anything,"_ he defended_. "But yeah. I'd like to learn to dance with you."_

_ "M'kay..."_ Then they resumed their content little piece of quiet, walking on.

Lash felt perfectly at ease. He was laying out in the courtyard with the sun pleasantly warm against his skin. His best friend was now on his Hero team, and his Sidekick was now his girlfriend. They worked together seamlessly. Phantom was no where to be found. Graduation was nearing. Prom was coming up. He wove his fingers with Sammy's, enjoying how they fit together as the hero triad sat together under the tree, content.

* * *

Lauren and Sammy dashed throughout the mall, arms linked so not to be separated as they giggled with their enthusiasm. They managed to sidestep those who threatened their woven grip and Lauren pulled them into the first store that promoted prom dress, as was the season.

"Hurry!" she encouraged. "Just grab your size and get to a dressing room!"

"Right!" nodded Sammy. They split up and scoured the store for their designated sizes. They had just finished with practice for the day and high tailed it to the mall before it closed. Fortunately it was Friday and they had a couple of hours to work with. Prom was closing in and neither girl had purchased a dress for the senior occasion, both having been too busy with rehearsal and school. The deadline was near and the stores were running out of product, the people who had the motive to get their dresses well before prom weekend. They honestly should have thought about shopping at least a week ago, comfortably two weeks to be absolutely certain, but alas, there they were, shopping hurriedly with prom for both schools taking place the following weekend.

Lauren pushed through the racks of dress, shoving tacky material aside in hope of finding a decent style or at least a complimentary color. So far she had at least three draped over her arm and she huffed, unsatisfied with that particular section of dresses. Looking up, she spotted a tall boy in stripes following his mother, looking less than thrilled. It took her a moment but the light bulb came on in her head. She grinned and gave a big wave to catch his attention.

"Hey! Jason!" she called. He turned and stared at her for a moment, giving a wave, her name escaping him.

"Hey...Sam's friend...?" he greeted. His mother gave a humored huff and swat him on the arm for his memory. She laughed and made her way over.

"It's Lauren," she refreshed. "So what're you up to?"

"Prom shopping," he grumbled. Because he mentioned to his mother that Sammy was talking about it, which in turn reminded her that her own son was ill prepared as well. Wonderful. He hated clothing shopping.

"It's about near impossible to get him fitted for a tux since he's so tall," explained his mother. "We were suppose to take care of it last week, but someone decided to earn himself a detention and we missed our appointment," she chided. Lash huffed. The freshmen mouthed off to him and he and Speed took the liberty of locking him in the janitor's closet. They would've left him there too if Sammy hadn't caught them and made them unlock the door. Spoil sport.

"Well that sounds fun," chatted Lauren. "Sammy and I are here too, trying to find a dress!"

"Sam's here too? That's perfect then!" chirped Mrs. Livingston. "Once we're done with the fitting you can go figure out what color she's decided on."

"Or how about, no fitting and I go figure out the color?" suggested Lash innocently. "That seems like a very busy, fully focused job to me." His mother smiled sweetly before tugging him along, making Lauren laugh and give a wave before she skipped off to the changing rooms. They had to be quick if they wanted to get everything done today.

"And no scaring the seamstress by getting taller every time she tries to take your measurements, young man."

Lash snorted at his own cleverness.

* * *

**REVIEW! Yes, it's a little short. Yes, it's been a long while since my last update, I know and I do feel bad. But hey! Here's an update plus I made a little banner/book cover thing for this story, so now that's chilling at the top of the page! **

**So I do hope to hear from you lovely reviewers even though this is kind of a filler/fluffy chapter, just to get me back in the game and to act as recovery since the Phantom attack. The semester for Sammy and Lash's senior year is starting to wrap up! So excited!**

**Enjoy!**


	17. Chapter 17

_**Invisible Girl**_

**Chapter Seventeen**

The Winchester house was in full swing on the day of Sky High's prom. There was getting the dress pulled from the closet, fluffed and prepped so to be ready for it's debut. Showering, remembering to shave her legs and using the good body lotion that smelled lightly of mint. Of course then there was the hair.

"Oh, how about a big up-do?" suggested her mom. Her mother was very excited about doing her daughter's hair for prom, not to mention that the girl had a date. "Does Jason know what your dress looks like?"

Sammy had to give a small laugh. Ever since her mom learned Lash's real name she refused to call him by anything else.

"No, but I did show Mrs. Livingston a picture so that she knew," she answered. She flinched as her mom pulled the brush through her hair with a bit more force than she was accustomed to.

"It's going to be a surprise?" she guessed, an excited spark reaching her own blue eyes. "How exciting! How to do you feel about curls?"

"Well, I don't really-" Another sharp tug, nearly pulling her off the bar stool. "-know! Ouch. Since the dress is a little vintage, I don't know how a big up-do would really look with it. What do you think?" she asked, stealing a glance back. Her mom tilted her head back to the proper straight forward position and gave a little pat.

"Don't worry. I know just the thing."

_Bzzz-bzz!_

The buzz of her phone vibrating startling her out of her daze as her mother worked on her hair, and she pulled her phone from her pocket, flipping it open while taking care to keep her head still. She felt herself smile when she read Lash's name on the screen.

_Wat up?_ She rolled her eyes at the text typing, knowing that he did it especially to annoy her. Even though she told him more than once that he should use proper English with texting, as it was a pet peeve of hers. So of course, Lash being Lash, irritating her was all the more reason to do something.

_Mom's doing my hair for tonight. My scalp's burning so I hope it's worth it lol What're you doing?_ she typed back to the boy next door. She and her mother had made it their mission to keep Sammy from view, diving and ducking past windows and using her power to stay out of sight. It was fun and it made it all the more exciting. Especially on Sammy's behalf as she never had a proper date to a school function. Yes, she always had the Warren Peace crush and thought about asking him or daydreamed that he would miraculously ask her to a dance, but never acted on them. With her quiet and shy demeanor, she could never call up enough nerve. It didn't bother her too much because she went with her friends and always had a good time.

_Bzzz-bzz!_

That smile pulled at her mouth again as the Hero responded to her message.

_Nm. just watching tv :)_

_The joy of being a boy and getting ready for a dance_, she typed, pausing as her mom gave another tug. "Ouch."

"Don't tell me ouch or I'll give you something to ouch about," her mother warned and Sammy laughed, sticking out her tongue.

_Bzz-bzz!_

_The dance is tonight?_ Before she could get worked up and send him a reprimanding text, he messaged her again.

_Jk ;)_

_Jerk :p Please just be ready on time_, she asked.

_Im always on time!_

_ You were late for Mad Science Lab three days in a row. When we had a test!_

A beat passed before he responded. _U might have a point. Dont worry ill b on time ;)_

_Alright. See you later :)_

* * *

"Are you sure you two aren't going out to eat?" asked Mrs. Livingston as she bustled about the house. Lash rolled his eyes as he stood in front of the mirror in the main hall, trying to fix his bow tie. He huffed when it wouldn't just sit straight, tilting up at an angle.

"No. We have to wait on the bus so to get to the school, so we might go out for something afterwards. That's okay, right?" he asked, tugging the tie loose again. "Mom, do you know how to tie a bow tie?"

"I already tied it, Jason," answered his mother, making her way back to her son. She tutted when she saw that it was undone, hanging loose around his neck. "You couldn't leave it alone?" He gave a shrug and sheepish smile.

"It was too tight," he defended. She gave a mocking huff and tied the bow, both sides even, a mom talent. She gave a sharp pat.

"There you are. Now, do not touch it." She ran a hand over his hair, to flatten a rebellious strand.

"Mom," he whined, "my hair's fine." She gave a teasing smile as she continued to dote on her oldest son. It was fun to see him so flustered about a date. Even if he was unaware of it, she noticed him checking his reflection at every opportunity to make sure he looked all right.

"Now it is," she laughed. "Do you have the corsage?"

He shook his head to loosen his hair from it's stiff mom-style, picking up the small clear box that held the flower bracelet. "Got it."

His mother's brow furrowed as she studied the flowers. "Are you sure you wanted black and white ribbons with the cream flowers? It doesn't really seem to match, dear. Sammy's dress is blue with cream." The lanky boy simply smirked to himself.

"It's just kind of our thing, mom. Sammy will get it," he promised. He focused on his reflection again, tugging at his black dress coat, the blue vest and bow tie standing out. He made a face, scrutinizing his appearance.

"Does this look right? It's looks-what's the nice word for old?" he asked, looking over his shoulder to his mom who was collecting her purse and camera. "I mean, I'm wearing cuff links. Who wears these?"

"Vintage," she supplied. "And you look handsome. Sammy's dress is a little vintage so you'll match." She moved over to the door, double checking that they had everything.

"Flowers?"

"Yes."

"Phone?"

"Always."

"Wallet?"

A quick pat to his pockets. "Yes."

"Keys?"

"Yes, with the wallet."

"Deodorant?"

"Mom!" exasperated Lash. She laughed at her boy's reaction.

"I'm a mom, I had to ask. Now let's go get your date!" she chirped, heading out the door. With a sigh and one last glance in the mirror, the Hero followed after her.

It only took a few long legged strides for the super powered being to arrive at his neighbor's door. The doorbell rang and he couldn't help but fidget, deciding that it was safer for his bow tie if he just kept his hands in his pockets. He had no idea why he was so nervous. Was nervous the right word? Paranoid, almost. When was the last time he had a proper date to a dance? Oh, that's right. Never. He and Speed usually went stag and he could snag a female companion by the end of the night. When in doubt, Penny was always game. Now, here he was, waiting on a date. His girlfriend. It was so normal now, but still strange. Strange that he was tied to one person. Honestly, he was going to be bound to her anyway but he never really considered their current status ever a possibility.

There was rushing feet and the door was thrown open, making him look up from his shoes at the sudden noise.

"Hello," Sammy greeted, a little breathless.

Lash could only stare, speechless. Brown eyes were wide as he tried to take in the sight of her. Blonde hair curled and partially pinned back. Light make up, nothing too heavy. Her dress stopped at her knees and was cerulean in color with a cream waistband that matched the cream sheer that started from the sweetheart neckline of the dress and formed a proper collar, three little button dotting it. Her legs were covered by pantyhose, small cream colored heels finishing the look. His gaze made its way back to her face where her cheeks were pink, adding to her own glow as she smiled up at him.

"You're beautiful," he heard himself say. Did he just say that out loud? That was supposed to stay in his head. Her blush flared up at his words. His own face warmed, realizing he really did speak his mind.

"Thanks. You look very handsome," she returned, voice softening as she paid her compliment. Blue locked with brown as the two were quiet, for once not engaging in their typical banter. It was surreal, seeing the other so formal.

"Time for pictures!" chimed Mrs. Winchester. The motherly chatter broke their moment, snapping them out of their daze. Everyone moved down onto the path, Sammy and Lash taking the standard position side by side.

"Wait, Jason, the flowers!" reminded his mother.

"Oh, right," he muttered, pulling the clear box forward. He popped it open and pulled the corsage out, the cream colored rose twisted with thin ribbons of black and white. His heart started to pound when he saw how badly the colors would clash with her outfit. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea? He was distracted as he slipped it over her hand, settling on her wrist to complete her outfit. She gave a laugh, earning his attention.

"It seems we had the same idea," she giggled, pulling forth his boutineer. A matching cream flower with small black and white accents on the ribbon. "I'm glad we were on the same page."

He was quiet as she stepped close so to pin the flower to his jacket. He saw that the parents were posed with the cameras, a few shots already taken, and he looked around to make sure they were totally clear. No one in sight, street empty, completely void of random citizens. He snaked his arm around her waist and lifted her to his height, quieting her yelp of surprise with a kiss. His nerves lit when she gathered her bearings, her hands cupping his face to return the gesture. Slowly he lowered her back to the ground but she held the kiss, wrists locked behind his neck so that he would have to bend down to her level. They could both hear the cameras clicking away.

"Gonna break my back, stooping down to your level, short stuff," he mocked quietly, lips brushing each other still. She gave a laugh, relieved to hear their banter returning.

"You're just freakishly tall and you know it," she returned. Their laughter bubbled over as they did their best to take a serious picture for their parents. It was difficult task as Lash kept lifting her off her feet to which Sammy would wrap her arm around his waist to deal a subtle poke that would make him flinch. There was plenty of smirking and play glaring, their natural behavior. Somehow, both mothers achieved usable footage just as Speed arrived on the scene. Sammy gave a big wave while Lash gave a simply head nod.

"Wait, come take a picture with us!" suggested Sammy. The super fast hero looked mildly embarrassed, waving his hand to dismiss the idea. Once the mothers started to team up and encourage the idea, he made his way over to Sammy's extended arm.

"You look very sharp," complimented the blonde. He still wore his hat, but the rest of him was dressed properly in a dark suit and tie. The Triad linked arms as they smiled at the flashing cameras, all dressed in their best for a night of fun.

* * *

The school was decorated nicely as it always was for dances, a bit more effort applied due to it being prom. Upon arrival they encountered their classmates, guys and girls separating so the girls could gush over the dresses, hair and makeup. Not out of the usual, everyone stuck to their comfortable color zone. Magenta was sporting purple, Layla in green, Zach in purple neon so to relatively match his date, Ethan wearing the always vibrant orange, while Will was the only one out of his typical red-white-and blue in order to coordinate with Layla's green. Everyone looked lovely and it was refreshing to see her classmates so dressed up.

The music was pumping loudly and heat quickly filled the room. Taking a short break, Sammy made her way over to the punch bowl to grab a quick drink and to take a breather. She had lost sight of Lash and Speed since her friends had pulled her away. Content with staying still and people watching, she gazed about so to notice the different colors and styles of dresses. She hardly noticed the small smile that pulled at her lips as she stood on the sidelines, her natural habitat and comfort zone. Everything was just going along so well and everyone was having fun. Her friends were happy and that made her happy in return. Perhaps she was a bit of a simpleton, but she didn't mind. It was lovely all the same.

Her heart picked up in pace when the first slow song came on, settling over the crowd. Here it was, her first slow dance. Somewhat nervous, she set down her empty cup so to look about for her date, pulse spiking and cheeks flushing to accompany her smile.

Across the dance floor, a lanky Hero was chatting with his best friend, avoiding the dancing. He never was any good at it. It was too awkward for him. Grinding with girls wasn't exactly dancing, so he didn't count it. Rubbing up against someone didn't exactly take coordination, but there was little of that at Sky High with super powered teachers supervising. Not that it would happen anyway, Sammy wouldn't want to dance like that if he had to guess. He would bet good money on it actually.

He heard the slow song come over the speakers, the mood shifting obviously and it made his stomach tighten in nerves. He didn't do slow songs if he did have to dance. It was close, personal. Something he hated most of the time. Sammy was the only exception. Perhaps it wouldn't be as bad as he's built it up in his head. Maybe.

"This is the part where I go dance, right?" he asked aloud, clarifying his role. Speed snorted at his awkward behavior.

"Yes, now go," he laughed, giving him a shove. "She's right over there." He pointed across the floor where the blonde in the modest blue dress was looking about for him. The taller boy nodded, feet pulling him forward finally, if a bit stiffly.

Speed shook his head at his friend's behavior. He knew the extendable hero was always weird about commitment and being too close to others. He always had been, and Speed could relate. Hell, they were each other's only friend, however sad that was. The fact that Sammy could make any kind of impact on Lash, or Speed for that matter, was impressive. And valued. His brow suddenly furrowed.

"What the hell?" he muttered. Lash was halfway across the floor when he was stopped by Amanda Sparks, the electric Hero he had promised prom to as a freshman. She pulled him into a dancing pose, holding tight as she smiled. Lash tried to pull away but the action was followed by a flinch, a quick taste of her prowess. He looked back over to Sammy who had finally spotted her Hero, dancing with another. Using his speed, he skidded to a stop in front of her.

"Mind if I steal a dance?" he asked, offering his hand, hoping to distract her. Blue eyes were wide in surprise but she managed to recover, giving a smile.

"Of course," she consented. The pair stepped into the crowd, hands finding their proper place on their partner.

It was quiet as they danced, neither one speaking up. Speed looked about to see how close the other couples were standing. Boys with arms wrapped securely around their dates' waist. Girls resting their heads on the other's shoulder. He gave a soft sigh as he looked down at the blonde before him and she noticed, giving him a smile. They were positioned like the rest with both hands at the waist or shoulders. It was most likely force of habit for Sammy and all her years of dance practice. He had one hand on her waist, hers on his shoulder while he held her other hand properly, if a little old fashioned. Then again, Sammy was a little old fashioned herself. It suited her well.

He did his best to keep them positioned so that she wouldn't see Lash and Amanda past his broad form, but it proved fruitless, as she caught sight of them enough. It was obvious when she would take a deep breath to keep composed, fighting to keep the sting of hurt away from her expression. Her natural blush had faded and she looked a bit pale. If he didn't work with her day in and day out, he wouldn't have thought anything of it, but the fact was, he knew very well that she was upset. Although he had to give her credit, she was doing a good job at keeping her emotions together. She was very new to the relationship game, of trusting her emotions to someone. To someone like Lash, of all people. She was only a beginner.

There was a sharp sting of jealousy. Lash, who was quite comfortable with relationships that had no strings attached and were mutually beneficial. Hence, the constant Penny escapades. Sammy was genuine and his friend should be careful not to break her. He already had a few close calls with the fake girlfriend episode, date conflict with Sparks, and Phantom scare underlying everything.

"Speed?" she called. "Speed, the song's over." He snapped out of his thoughts as she gave a soft laugh at his confused expression.

"Sorry, guess I checked out for a minute," he answered, letting go of her hand and waist slowly. She smiled, the bright returning to her eyes as the slow music faded away.

"It's okay, you were a lovely partner, sir," she thanked, giving a small curtsy. "I appreciate your chivalry."

"Well, you know what they say, it's not dead," he returned. She smiled again and the stinging jealousy ebbed away, his normal mindset chiding him. Upbeat music picked up again and the students returned to the noisy dance floor, energy levels rising once more.

There was a glare of red and Sammy felt chills run up her spine, blonde hair flying as she turned to look. She stood stock still for a moment, not even daring to breathe. Did she just see...? Of course not, he wouldn't try to come back to the school after his last stunt. Would he?

"Sammy?" asked Speed. "You there?"

Blinking a moment, she realized she had missed whatever it was the Hero had just told her. "Sorry, Speed. I'll-I'll be right back. I've got to...go check something...Be right back..."

Just as she slipped away, Lash stepped up to his friend, clearly exhausted. Speed gave a laugh at his friend's expense. Some of his hair was standing on end and he was twitching a bit.

"So, the dancing went well with Sparks then?" he guessed. He gave glare and an uncontrolled cringe.

"I'd rather stick a fork in a socket," he managed. "How can she be charged all the time? That's not right." He looked about for his blonde Sidekick, unable to spot her.

"Where's Sammy?" Speed gave a shrug.

"She said she had to go check something."

"Huh, weird."

* * *

The hallway was empty when the Sidekick stepped out of the gymnasium. Weird quiet hung in the air, but that could just be due to all of the noise that was coming from the dance. Looking about, Sammy took a few steps to investigate the area. Now she was just following her unsettling gut feeling. A constant nagging that she couldn't shake.

That red glare, meant _him_. She knew it did. It had to. What else could it possibly be?

She made it to the end of the hall with no new clues or ideas. Giving a heavy sigh, she turned back around to return to the dance. It could be in her head, it wouldn't be the first time. The faintest idea of Phantom put her on edge, every hair on end, the sensation of something crawling under her skin. He was truly terrible. Haunting her dreams. The kiss scar on her wrist mocking her. A threat at every shadow. He infected every spare moment and thought.

"You're quite the sight, darling."

Whipping around, she was still too slow to stop the man from pinning her against the lockers. Soft laughter reached her as she was unable to move away, forced against the metal. Luminescent blue eyes pierced her as Phantom himself leaned into her.

"Blue really is your color, I must say." White hair still stood up from his head, as if it was trying to escape him as well. His mouth formed a smirk, his confidence rolling off him in waves. She pushed back in protest but he slammed her back down, the locker bending under her.

"Do keep still. I'd hate to bloody you on such a lovely night," he scolded. Her form flickered and this time he flipped her around, throwing her against the wall with serious force. When she rebounded from the hit, he slipped his arm swiftly around her neck to secure her in a headlock, standing fully upright so that her feet couldn't touch the ground anymore.

"I _said _to keep still," he repeated softly, blue eyes flashing red. She clawed at his arm, feet kicking uselessly as he held her suspended. He didn't seem to notice, or care.

"Now, I believe we have some things to discuss, don't you agree?" All Sammy could do was gasp, breath rattling under the pressure he was applying to her throat.

"I'll make this brief, Samantha," he decided, tossing her back against the wall using his power to keep her pinned. "Tonight, you will be leaving with me. From there we will determine the best route to achieve your full potential, as you are clearly not up to par. Afterwards, I will put you on display for the world to see. You will be joining me, one way or another."

Finally regaining her wind, Sammy was able to respond. "I am not..."

"Oh," he laughed, "but you are. Because you, Samantha, are going to come with me or else I'm going to rip out your Hero's heart." He chuckled as she stared at him in shock. The pallor of her face, blush absent entirely, and the wide, unblinking eyes that clearly read shock and disbelief. He drank the sight in. The control he held over her was strikingly clear now. Her biggest weakness. That pathetic Hero of hers. She cared too much, allowing him to cripple her. Hindering her true development. She should be stronger than this. His power pumped through her veins. She should have the whole school bowing before her by this point. Instead, she was a kind hearted wallflower that allowed others to ignore her, to brush her aside like she wasn't as strong as the rest.

"It's as simple as that, darling."

"You promise not hurt him? Or anyone?" she asked slowly. He raised a brow, disgusted by her concern for others.

"I'm saying, if you don't come with me then I will snatch his heart from his chest before your very eyes without so much as blinking. That is what I'm telling you," he repeated, so that his meaning was perfectly clear. "I can insure you of that."

"I'll go with you," she agreed, voice barely above a whisper. "Just don't hurt him or anyone else."

"Your concern for the well being of others is repulsive," he sneered. With a wave of his hand she was released from the wall, barely keeping upright, unsteady on her feet.

The music from the dance seemed to reach them once more and he smirked at the sound of another slow song coming over the speakers.

_Is this the moment where I look you in the eye? _

_Forgive my broken promise that you'll never see me cry_

"How fitting," he smirked. "Go enjoy this song with your foolish Hero and the moment it ends, you're mine. Are we clear?"

She barely nodded.

"Excellent." Then he vanished, as if he was never there.

_And everything, it will surely change even if I tell you I won't go away today _

_Will you think that you're all alone_

Legs shaking terribly, she found herself making her way back toward the dance. Her heart pounded loudly, resounding in her ears while her entire body quaked with fear. Stepping back into gym, she was grateful for the dim lighting to cover up her ashy complexion. Fortunately, she didn't have to look very long as her Hero spotted her first. He sent her a smile that she returned, the expression not quite reaching her eyes. He held out his hand and she accepted.

_When no one's there to hold your hand?_

They stood close, torsos touching. It was the manner of dancing she and Speed had experienced but it was almost like an embrace as well with how close they were standing. Shaking, she tightened her grip and hid her face in his shoulder. He secured his hold on her waist, noticing her strange demeanor.

_And all you know seems so far away and everything is temporary rest your head _

_I'm permanent _

"Sammy?" he called. "Are you all right?" Taking a deep breath, she made herself nod.

"Yes, I'm fine. Don't worry," she returned. "I'm fine..."

_I know he's living in hell every single day _

_And so I ask oh god is there some way for me to take his place _

She tried to commit everything to memory about that very moment. The way his jacket felt against her skin. The now familiar sensation of him holding her hand, other arm wrapped naturally around her. Where the top of her head was just beneath his shoulder due to their height difference. His scent. His warmth. Their easy banter. The sound of his voice. Dancing with him was comforting, she didn't have to think about it. It was as if they just clicked together.

_And when they say it's all touch and go I wish I could make it go away _

_But still you say _

She closed her eyes tightly, entire body tensing up. She knew the song that was playing, it was David Cook's "Permanent" and it was almost over. Lash pulled back slightly so to look down at her.

"Hey, what's wrong?" he asked again. She took a quick breath, trying to keep a lid on the tears that were now rolling steadily, dripping onto her dress.

"Jason," she whispered. The Hero became rigid, thoroughly alarmed by the use of his proper name. "Could...could you do me a favor?"

"Course," he answered without hesitation.

_Will you think that you're all alone when no one's there to hold your hand? _

_When all you know seems so far away and everything is temporary, rest your head _

"Could you say my name?" she requested. "Nothing else, just my name?"

He slowly nodded, blatant concern written across his face.

"Sammy..."

She just wanted to remember how it sounded to have him call for her.

_I'm permanent _

_I'm permanent_

Slipping her hand around his neck, she pulled him to her in order to steal one last kiss. Fingers lost in his hair, she channeled everything she had into the gesture, rising up onto her tiptoes as the tears still burned their way down her face. It wasn't until she absolutely had to breathe that she very slowly pulled away from him, their breaths mixing.

"Sammy..." he whispered.

_Is the moment where I look you in the eye? _

_Forgive my promise that you'll never see me cry_

"Jason..."

With a shuddering breath, she disappeared entirely.

* * *

**REVIEW! I know it's been forever and a day and I apologize my beautiful readers! Never fear, Sammy x Lash are always somewhere in my mind, I really want to finish their story since they are so much fun to write and you guys seem to really enjoy them as well.**

**I will have sketches of Sammy's dress on DA soon, and I plan to work on a proper picture of the two of them together.**

**Until next time! Reviews would be love and I hope you all enjoyed! Thank you!**


	18. Chapter 18

_**Invisible Girl**_

**Chapter Eighteen**

"Get up."

Sammy looked up from her spot on the floor, heaving as she gasped for breath. Her once lovely dress was now ruined, torn in a variety of places and dirtied from being thrown about. The heels were tossed aside, long forgotten while her pantyhose bore several ragged tears. Blue eyes managed a glare as she regarded the man before her.

Phantom stood at his full height, not even breaking a sweat in dealing with her. His abundance in power was simply terrifying. Back when he encountered her during her training run at school, that moment had nothing on him now. It was evident that he had been playing with her. That he was capable of so much more.

"I said, get up," he repeated, voice becoming stern. Digging her nails into the floor, she quickly lunged at the man, hoping to catch him by surprise. Not even sparing her a glance, his power threw her hard against the adjacent wall.

"Typical. Not creative in the slightest," he sighed. "I'm disappointed with you, Samantha. Do you understand why I am?"

She gave a harsh cough, rolling over onto her side to try and recover from the hit. "Because you're a...narcissistic psychopath..." she wheezed. He gave a humored smirk as he stepped toward her. Snatching her by her white blonde hair, he tugged her head up so to fully look at him.

"Unlock your mind, you ungrateful girl," he snarled. "You're not pushing yourself to achieve your full potential!"

"Yeah, and just what is that?" she growled back. "Why do you want anything to do with me if I'm so disappointing?" He dropped her back onto the ground, standing upright.

"Get up," he instructed. Entire body throbbing and blood creeping down the back of her neck, she pushed herself back up onto her feet once more. She kept her eyes locked on the mad man before her, feet settling into her usual stance, arms brought up just slightly.

"What's it matter to you?" she asked, ignoring the sharp pain of her ribs. "Whether or not I reach your idea of potential?"

There was the nasty red gleam and his form flickered, appearing directly before her. Her back hit the wall as she tried to create distance, unable to get away or vanish in time. With hardly a sound, his hand delved into her chest, bypassing her physical state. Eyes wide, she gaped at him as she felt his hand close around her heart. Every frantic beat was more pronounced as it worked in overdrive to due to fear and its threatening situation. Her nervous system was alight, going wild with the unnatural invasion. She drew a shuddering breath as he tightened his grip, heart pumping faster now in order to stay alive. Air left her completely as she clawed at his exposed arm, unable to get free despite her flickering.

"_This_ is why it matters to me," he explained, tone eerily calm. He gave a little tug, pulling her closer to him. "_This_ is what I want from you, Samantha." She managed a cry of pain as he dared to twist ever so slightly. He grinned, showing his sharper than average canines as he leaned in closer to the battered girl.

"You really know nothing about me," he assumed. "What is it like, being so irreparably naive?" His free hand grabbed her jaw, nails digging into her skin as he forced to look up, adding the discomfort to her obvious pain.

"I see myself in you, darling. I've carried the burden of the Sidekick title because ignorant fools couldn't see what I could do. They don't understand us. Power isn't always about muscles and what a person can see. We can do so much more. Over the years I've grown stronger. I've evolved to conquer my enemies. They don't teach you that you need to adapt in order to survive in the world. They are still bound, chained, by their want to be loved by the public. Without the human world's approval, they fall. Heroes are nothing without the disgustingly ignorant masses."

"Not..." she managed, still digging her nails into his arm. He didn't seem to notice her effort. "Not...like you..."

"Not like me?" he actually laughed at her. "I've been studying you, Samantha Winchester and I know more than you think." His hold increased so that she would cry out again, a satisfied smirk stretching across his face.

"You're a Sidekick. You're insecure about everything, your power, your appearance, your worth. With your insecurities, any other person would cling to their friends but not you." She started to argue but he pushed her head back to a strange angle to quiet her. "You hide behind your wall of so called 'friends' but in the end, you only trust yourself. No one else. You play their social games, you know your part, but you are not emotionally connected, not really. You're a lonely girl, Samantha, and you like it."

"No...!"

He released her jaw, allowing her to look at him properly. She was still immobile, slowly adjusting to pain of having his hand lodged in her chest cavity. Blue eyes glared daggers, and he smirked again. It was clear to see her outrage at his statement, the hurt, but beneath all of that, the shining of the truth.

"You're wrong," she heaved. "I trust my friends."

"Do you?" he asked, nonchalant. "Then why didn't you tell anyone that you were coming with me?"

Shock slowly settled into her features and he grinned, content with his victory. "That's right. I know you, Samantha, because we are the very same."

"What happens...when I reach my potential?" she asked between sharp puffs of breath.

His readjusted his grip, becoming vice like around her source of life and bringing her closer so that they were nose to nose. A twisted grin warped his features further as he looked down at the blonde girl with a ravenous hunger, canines gleaming.

"_I will eat your heart_."

* * *

_Sammy where r u?_

_ Sammy pick up ur phone_

_ Where r u?_

_ What happened?_

_ Where r u?_

_ R u hurt?_

_ Please answer me_

_ Sammy please_

Lash slipped his phone back into his pocket after sending another text to Sammy's unresponsive phone. That made it at least a dozen messages now. He ran a hand through his hair that was now completely disheveled due to the repeated action. He was pale, shaking, and his heart wouldn't stop pounding away in his chest. It hurt. He felt sick.

He didn't understand what had happened. A slow song had started and he went looking for the blonde Sidekick to finally have their dance together. It didn't take him too long to find her, he had the height advantage anyway. She returned his smile and they had stepped into proper slow dance position. It was easier than he thought, slow dancing. It was almost nice actually. She was right against him, hand curved around his shoulder so they were almost hugging. His arm fit around her waist easily without the help of his power while he held her other slender hand properly. He was barely listening to the song, thoughts busy with his Sidekick. He felt her tilt her head down, resting her forehead against his shoulder. That seemed a little odd. Next he became aware of her shaking. He tightened his grip to secure her, concerned now and he asked if she was all right.

_"I'm fine. Don't worry...I'm fine..."_

As the song started to slow down, it was becoming clear that she was most certainly not fine. He shaking worsened and he stopped their dancing, pulling back so to look at her properly. Tears were running down her face, smudging some of her makeup and falling onto her dress. He hoped it had nothing to do with his lousy dancing ability. Then she called him by his real name. Every warning bell went off in his head as he looked down at his Sidekick, slow dread filling his insides. She had never called him by his proper name, not seriously anyway. Instead of explaining, she simply asked for a favor.

_"Could you say my name? Nothing else, just my name?"_

Of course, he complied. Her name came effortlessly. He was always calling after her. Talking, teasing, harassing, they were always engaged in some sort of conversation. It was what they did. The next thing he knew, her fingers had twisted in his hair and she pulled him into a kiss. Lash liked to consider himself an expert on kissing as he was a person with plenty of experience except that this kiss was entirely different. He was reciprocating the gesture, naturally, but he could feel her tears against his skin. She was pushing so much into the kiss, keeping them together until they were properly oxygen deprived. Slowly, she pulled away from him, blonde and brown hair tangled, breathing hard, her hands cradling his face. He heard himself call her name once more and she responded with his.

Then she was gone.

And her kiss felt like goodbye.

"Hey," called Speed, clapping his friend on the shoulder, jerking him out of his thoughts. "Anything?" Lash checked his phone again: no new messages.

"Nothing," he sighed, slipping it back into his pocket. "You?"

He shook his head. "Ran through the whole school twice and nothing. Did you tell Powers?"

"Yeah, she's sending teachers to go look around." He gave a huff. "She couldn't have gotten very far, I mean, we're on a flying school!"

"Did she say anything?" asked Speed, trying to help jog his friend's memory. "Anything weird?"

Lash groaned at the most asked question of the night, again mussing his hair. "No, she didn't actually say anything. She was definitely upset though, she was crying."

"Crying?" his friend repeated, brow furrowing. "What about?"

"I don't know, that's the problem!" he snapped. "I don't know why she was upset, why she was crying or where she went-I don't know any of it!"

"Whoa, take it easy, man. Take a breath," consoled Speed, laying a firm hand on the taller boy's shoulder so to encourage him to take the nearby empty seat. "We'll figure it out, don't worry."

There was the sound of heels on tile and the two Heroes turned to face Principle Powers, Lash jumping up from the seat in order to meet her halfway. Her usual professional neutralism was shifting to a somber expression that made the boy feel like he should be very concern by the fact.

"I'm afraid I've got bad news, boys," she began, looking between the two. "We have clear signs of Phantom entering the school-"

"What? I thought we had extra precautions to take care of that freak?" interrupted Lash.

"We did," the principle agreed. "The guards that were stationed for Phantom are now dead. Hearts ripped out, his trademark technique."

"So, Phantom took her?" spoke up Speed. "That's what you're getting at?"

Before she could answer, Lash interjected again. "Wait, he couldn't have taken her because she was with me before she disappeared. There wasn't any sign of him!"

"Not to you, most likely," explained Powers as gently as she could. "It's obvious that Samantha and Phantom have some sort of connection perhaps due to their similar powers. She was probably more aware of him than you were, Lash."

His head was pounding, the new information banging around in his mind. "But why didn't she say anything? We could've done something to help!" He looked between his friend and the teacher, panic slowly building. "Right...?"

Principle Powers gave a sad sort of sigh. "Phantom is a very dangerous villain and highly specialized in advancing his own power. If Samantha didn't say anything, it was because Phantom wouldn't let her. If he wanted her, he simply needed to threaten someone she cared about, which I'm assuming would include the two of you as you are her Heroes."

The two Heroes looked at each other, both stunned by the overload of information.

"If you'll excuse me, I'm going to notify the staff and send out an alert as well as speak to Samantha's family," said Powers, turning to leave.

"Wait, Principle Powers," started Speed. "What did you mean by Phantom's specialization? What does he do?" The dark haired teacher looked very grave as she lowered her voice.

"In order to gain new abilities, Phantom takes a Hero's heart and consumes it, taking on their powers."

Shell shocked by the new information, he subconsciously pulled out his phone again, flipping to the message screen.

_Sammy_

His thumbs froze over the buttons, unsure of what to type to her. If she was even receiving his messages. His hands started to shake as his mind wandered off. Phantom was a monstrous villain that ate hearts to become stronger. That very same evil was after his Sidekick, his Sammy. He was going to rip out her heart-

Lash bolted away to the nearest bathroom, stall door banging as he dropped to his knees and proceeded to heave up what his stomach couldn't handle. Coughing and hacking up his insides at the thought of Phantom ripping out Sammy's heart. Bloody, pulsating heart while Sammy fell to the ground, chest painted red while her eyes gazed on, unblinking. Another wave of nausea hit him, making him lose another round to the basin. Principle Powers would have to tell her family. The image of her mother crying into her husband's shoulder at the loss of her daughter, her only child, it made his stomach clench again.

His entire body was shaking, skin clammy as he tried to catch his breath, throat raw from the violent upheavals. Burning liquid fell from his eyes as he fought to catch his breath, choking on his own breathing. What was he supposed to do? How could he save Sammy? Because she couldn't be dead. She just couldn't. The idea made him pitch over again, pulling his world out from under him.

How did he fight a monster?

At that very moment, an invisible figure dropped a note on the front porch of the Livingston home. It floated down slowly, the elaborate font enough to warrant attention.

_Jason Livingston,_

_ We do hope you'll be able to attend the Maxville Theater Recital this Sunday. There's an up and coming star who would love for you to attend._

_ It will be a show like you've never seen._

_ Positively heart wrenching to say the least._

* * *

**REVIEW! It is a little short, yes I know, but I needed this little bit so to connect to the next big scene.**

**How exciting! Phantom is now even more creepy and dramatic, if that was possible. Sidekicks and Heroes are all in trouble now. Time for everyone to lace up their gloves and get ready for a showdown!**

**Your thoughts would be lovely, I hope you enjoyed!**


	19. Chapter 19

_**Invisible Girl**_

**Chapter Nineteen**

_ You and I are the very same...You trust no one but yourself..._

Sammy was sprawled out on the dirty floor, skin covered in bruises and cuts while her breathing remained shallow. She was caught somewhere in between asleep and awake, thoughts still firing about in her brain while her body begged for a full shut down in order to recover.

_ I've carried the burden of the Sidekick title because ignorant fools couldn't see what I could do. They don't understand us..._

Blue eyes gazed on only half open, tears quietly rolling. The burden of being a Sidekick. As well as being looked at as different, less than the Heroes. How many times was she pushed aside, shoved into a locker or closet? She was never picked as a Hero's first choice when it came to training. She was just invisible, nothing. Useless to a Hero in combat. She was too quiet, too good at vanishing into the background so that no one could see her. Overlooked.

_ You hide behind your wall of so called 'friends' but in the end, you only trust yourself. No one else. You play their social games, you know your part, but you are not emotionally connected, not really. You're a lonely girl, Samantha, and you like it..._

Was that true? Her mind couldn't piece together a proper agument against the accusation, she was so tired. She wanted to sleep, dear god, why couldn't she sleep? She just needed to slip away for for a little bit. Only a few hours. Any time would do. It hurt, she was so exhausted. Did she like being alone? No...that wasn't right...She loved her friends...right?

_"I want to be your Hero, Sammy!"_

Lash.

The Hero's image came to mind and she could feel the tension start to leave her body, eyes closing. Right, she had Lash in her life. Jason Livingston. He was living proof that someone could see her despite her power. She was his Sidekick, a member of their group, the Triad. She had her role and she was learning how to benefit others with her powers when her team was out into action. Images of the stretch Hero came to the forefront of her mind, bringing up all of the recent moments they shared at the dance. The closeness, the warmth. It was so easy to be close and dance with him. Finally, her entire being was starting to wind down, comforting darkness cloaking her-

The harsh overhead light flared to life.

"Get up. You have a show to perform."

* * *

The Maxville Theater was humming with energy as everyone rushed to finish getting ready for the recital that night. Musicians were tuning their instruments and making sure they had the required sheet music. Dancers and backstage help were dashing across the stage to make sure everything was in it's proper place and that all the effects were working and ready for the night. The older dancers were helping the younger ones prep, doing their make up and tying their hair back.

"How's it going, Sammy? You ready for tonight?" asked Lauren.

Sammy was standing in front of the mirror in the small bathroom, carefully lining her eyes with the black pencil. She had used an excessive amount of concealer and whatever other make up product she could get her hands on in order to cover the blemishes she had earned at the hands of Phantom. Her mouth managed to form a nervous smile.

"A bit nervous, I think," she answered breathlessly. "How about you?"

"Really excited!" she chirped. Her lovely chestnut hair was already piled in a high bun, some of the curls springing loose. "Is Jason coming?" she asked, leaning forward to borrow her mirror to apply some gloss to her lips.

The Sidekick paled as she thought back to the invitation Phantom had left for the Hero last night.

"I-I really hope so." If he was going to show up, she would have no idea what he planned on doing, or even if there was anything he _could_ do against the villain. She couldn't even dare to approach him since Phantom was prowling somewhere in the building, watching her with his red eyes.

An idea struck her so swiftly, she gasped in surprised. Wide blue eyes turned to her friend.

"Whoa, are you okay, Sammy?" she asked, startled by the reaction. Before she could say anything, the blonde quickly opened every stall door and made sure that they were alone. There wasn't a hint of Phantom or a glare of his gaze. She returned to her friend, quickly taking her hands.

"Lauren, please listen. I need you to do something for me," she whispered urgently.

"Sure, name it," she agreed. Her grey eyes narrowed as she studied her friend. "Are you all right?"

"Technically, no," she said honestly. "What I need you to do is when you see Jason, talk to him as soon and as casually as you can."

"Talk to him about what? Are you guys fighting?" her gaze sharpened. "Did he do something?"

"No, it's not him, but I need you to tell him that Phantom is going to reveal himself during the finale," she whispered softly. She didn't want to run the risk of him overhearing her, just in case she did miss him somewhere.

"What? Who's Phantom? Is he trying to mess with the recital? We've worked freakin' hard on it!" Lauren said indignantly. Sammy quickly shushed her, not wanting her voice to travel.

"I just need you to tell him that, please. They need to get everybody out of the building when it's my turn to be on stage. That way it'll just be me and him and no one else run the risk of being hurt."

Lauren squeezed her hands tightly, concerned. "Hurt? Sammy, what on earth is going on? Are you in trouble? Should we call the police?"

She gave a short laugh. "I'm afraid the police don't exactly stand a chance against someone like him."

"And you do?"

"I stand a much better chance than everyone else, actually," she gave a sheepish smile. "We're somewhat cut from the same mold."

"Sammy, I don't understand-"

Taking a deep breath, the blonde stepped back from her friend. "You should tell Warren as well. That way he can clear out everyone that's backstage-"

"Sammy-"

"Please don't scream," she pleaded, "just let me show you, okay?"

After a moment, Lauren nodded.

Inhaling deeply, Sammy allowed the comfort of invisibility to wash over her. It didn't even require a solid thought. The power was second nature to her, no more difficult for her than breathing. She watched Lauren clap her hands over her mouth to keep from shrieking in her surprise. Now she was flickering so that she was semi-transparent.

"I'm a bit different from everyone else," she explained softly, returning to her physical state.

Lauren slowly nodded in agreement. "And Jason-and Warren-they know?"

"They're like me, in a way," she said. "We don't really have the time to go over it and I'm really breaking a lot of rules by simply telling you, but can you promise me you'll tell them?"

"Yeah," she said after taking a breath to compose herself. "You can count on me."

With their plan set, Lauren collected her bag and left the restroom. Turning back to the mirror, Sammy slowly uncapped the silver tube with a shaking hand and stained her lips scarlet.

* * *

Lash stood before the steps of the town's theater, heart pounding hard within his chest as he clutched the piece of paper in his hand. Phantom had left the formal invitation on his front porch last night so that it was waiting for him when he managed to get home after the disaster of a prom. He had looked at the Winchester's house and he could see Principal Powers taking to the parents. The curtains were opened and he saw Mrs. Winchester cover her mouth in shock, tears starting to fall as her husband's arm wrapped around her. Guilt slammed into him like a two-ton truck and he had to look away, focusing on the ground as he made his way home. Because he had his head down, that was how he spotted the note. The pristine paper that mocked him with a formal invite to see his girl from a distance, a puppet on the villain's strings.

The invitation crumpled further in his hand as he tightened his grip. Inside the theater was Sammy and Phantom and he didn't even have a proper plan on how to get his Sidekick out of there.

"Ready?" spoke up Speed, skidding to a stop beside him.

"As well as we're going to be," he muttered. With that said, the two made their way up the steps.

They didn't have to wait too long. After paying the admission fee and picking up a program, they spotted Sammy's name in the final dance. They would only be able to see her at the very end.

"How long is thing going to take?" asked Speed, skimming the program. "There are twenty songs to get through!"

"About an hour, maybe an hour and a half," spoke up a new voice. "If we get held up with costume changes or something breaks. You know, stuff like that."

The two Heroes turned sharply around to be face to face with a dancer wearing a deep green dress. She smirked at their reaction, her hands resting on her hips. She was all done up for the recital, her hair was pinned, makeup finished, it was as if she stepped out of a photo.

"Lauren?" asked Lash, recalling the girl from memory. He saw her when he came to watch Sammy practice and then bumped into her again when he was on his way to be fitted for his tux.

"That's right! You remembered this time," she chirped. Her grey gaze wandered to Speed and she smiled.

"And you are?"

"Speed-" Lash stumbled over the name and his friend covered for him.

"-David," he answered. "So, you two know each other?"

"Yes, we know each other through Sammy," she explained. Lash's pulse picked up at the sound of her name and he stepped toward the girl, making her flinch.

"Listen, Lauren, have you seen Sammy anywhere?" he asked quietly. Their voices were well ignored as more families and patrons filled the theater and searched for good seats.

"Yes, actually, she wanted me to give you guys a message," she trailed off, studying Speed. "Are you both-like her? Not exactly normal?"

Lash held back a curse. If she had to go and tell her friend their not entirely human nature, there was serious trouble brewing. "Yeah, we're like her."

She nodded and stepped closer so to huddle up. "Sammy told me, to tell you, that some guy named Phantom is going to reveal himself during the finale. And she said that everyone needs to get out of the building when that happens."

This time the curse did slip as Lash took a step back, running his hands through his hair. This was it. This was going to be Phantom's big moment and he didn't have a clue how to deal with it. How to beat him. The villain was practically invincible with all the powers he had consumed so far.

"We've got to contact Powers," muttered Speed. "Get her and the others down here."

"Yeah, we should have enough time to at least get the place surrounded," agreed Lash. "He can't possibly take on all of us, no matter how great he is."

The lighting started to dim and Lauren gave a surprised gasp. "I've got to go, guys! I'll keep an eye on Sammy!" she promised as she took off down the aisle, skidding as she took a turn on the carpet.

* * *

The blonde dancer thought her heart was going to beat out of her chest as she waited backstage. The recital was well underway and everything was flowing flawlessly. Music from the orchestra pit could be easily heard and so far the younger dancers were doing a great job. She wanted to be happy for them but she couldn't shake the cold that flowed just under her skin. With every song she was closer to the finale and to facing Phantom head on. He wanted her heart and she wasn't about to give it up without a fight.

It was simply a matter of how long she could fight him.

Applause sounded again as the young girls in pink took their final curtsies and skipped off stage left. Daring to peek, she pulled the heavy curtain from her side of the stage just a sliver so to see out into the audience. The whole house was packed, it was their best turn out yet, and she scanned the red velvet chairs to see if Lash had arrived as directed by the invitation. Her breath caught in her throat at the sight of striped sleeves and a cold hand gripped her shoulder, making her pulse stutter in fright.

"How good of him to show," Phantom whispered in her ear. Glancing to the side, she could see that he was not in his corporeal state. She was the only one who could see him.

"Such a useless Hero, wouldn't you say, Samantha?" he taunted. "Look at him. Sitting out among the mundane, useless to aid you and yet, he's the one with the title of Hero. Devoid of any real talent with his ridiculous power, and _you_ are bound to _him_. It makes me _sick._"

His frigid hand wove through her hair while the other closed the curtain, erasing the sight of her Hero. Tightly, he yanked her hair ever so slightly, so that she was looking up and not over extended so to gain attention.

"You won't have to worry about any of that for much longer now," he breathed in her ear. "Soon, you will join me."

The tension left her hair as he vanished entirely. She was vaguely aware of the next round of applause as both sets of curtains closed for intermission.

Almost there.

* * *

Lash was fidgeting in his seat. He couldn't keep entirely still, not when he knew that his Sidekick was in trouble. Technically, there was nothing he could do at the moment except wait. He hated waiting and he especially hated not doing anything. It would be stupid to stomp backstage and dare to call out the monster and take him on. Too many people would be around and that would be dangerous risk with a potentially high causality. Children, families and everyone in between would be in danger which was why they had to wait until the end to clear them out of the buildings, so Phantom would have less potential targets for his sick amusement.

Another group of dancers performed, maybe junior high in age and the quality of the performance increased. He couldn't even hear the music or focus on the moving kids as his brain was working in overtime. How was he going to get Sammy out? It was one thing to clear out civilians, and their plan was to pull the fire alarm. That way the innocent bystanders could evacuate and even the regular authorities could arrive, if they would be any help.

A sudden chill grabbed the back of his neck and he gave a gasp, becoming still in his seat.

"Hello, Hero. Enjoying the show?" came the soft voice of Phantom himself. The grip tightened and Lash couldn't turn his head to glare at him. Not that he would know where to look, the villain was invisible.

"Don't bother," he chuckled. He could feel the sharp nails slowly dig into his skin, forceful but not enough to draw blood. "I thought I should visit in case there were any last words you wanted me to deliver to your Sidekick. Perhaps a goodbye? One last declaration of love?"

Lash struggled but was swiftly stilled, one nail piercing the skin just above his Adam's apple. Phantom gave a low chuckle at the boy's effort, as valiant as it was as well as pathetic.

"I will never understand how someone like you became a Hero," he tutted.

The music changed for the next class and Lash could hear the grin in the man's voice when he spoke again.

"It's almost time for you to say goodbye."

* * *

Sammy took her place off on stage right, heavy curtains on either side of her as she watched the current dancers perform. She was fully dressed in her white costume, the tight fitted sleeves reaching past her wrist and hooking around her thumb so to keep their place. Her pink ballet slippers were laced up and she carefully lowered the white mask onto her face. It was asymmetrical, only covering half of her face and styled as if latice work rather than a solid material. Her breathing turned shallow and quickened as the end of the song drew near. There wasn't any sign of Phantom at the moment but that wasn't at all reassuring.

The sound of clapping made her skin go cold as the dancers hurried off stage. The lights dimmed and she stepped lightly onto the main stage.

It was strangely silent as she found her place in the center. Slowly, she held her arms away from her body, tilting her head down and to the side so to show her profile. Blood pounded in her ears as she waited with bated breath for her cue. Stage lights blared to life, focusing on her. With all the white and her naturally pale coloring, she was positive that she resembled a ghost herself. Music rang out and she fell into her routine without a second thought.

The entire theater was silent as she moved, her shoes barely making a sound on the polished floor. Her white blonde hair flew as she made her turns, pinned enough to stay out of her eyes. She couldn't see out to the audience very well with the bright lights facing her, which would have been excellent if she was entirely focused on her routine. The music picked up in tempo and she took a deep breath. This was the part where Warren was supposed to step on stage with her, dressed in black so to contrast her character.

When she finished her turn and looked over her shoulder, she saw Phantom standing on stage with her. The crowd murmured in interest at the new character. Except he didn't contrast her like he should. He wasn't wearing black. His own white hair and pallor nearly matched his own white garments. They weren't opposites. They were a set.

With his own unnatural grace, he met her halfway with his clawed hand extended. Fighting her own revulsion, she slipped her hand into his as they began to move. His grip was too tight and it didn't allow her movements to be entirely fluid as they should have been. Claws dug into her waist and she could feel them against her skin, tearing through the fabric. His sharp teeth formed a grin as he slowly forced her to bend back. Hands held over her head, she did what she could to get away from him, bending farther and farther back. She pushed her flexibility as far as she could, hands nearly touching the ground and the public applauded her range.

Shattering the music and atmosphere, the fire alarm rang throughout the building.

"Fire! Fire!" came Lauren's scream from the back of the theater. There was an instant uproar as the patrons rose from their seats, quickly gathering their children and families so to bustle outside to safety. The dancers and backstage workers were rushing too, their footsteps rumbling across the stage floor.

"_You_," hissed Phantom. He whipped her upright, holding her tightly to him. "You planned this!"

"Of course," she breathed. The sprinklers had finally kicked on and water rained down on the pair, neither one making to leave the stage. With a growl, he threw her bodily across the floor, making her roll with his strength. She recovered fast enough, using her ability to phase out of the slippers and she rose to stand with feet covered by her now torn tights.

"Very well, I suppose we'll have to make this a private showing then," he muttered.

"What a shame. You really did want all that attention, didn't you?" returned Sammy. The two circled the other, not quite jumping into the action. "You talk down about the regular folks of the city, about how much you hate them and don't need them, but that's not entirely true, is it?"

"You don't know what you're talking about," he growled.

"I've got a fair idea," she continued. "You don't hate people, Phantom. Not really. You want their attention, their praise. You don't care if it's fear or respect, you just want them to acknowledge you. You _crave_ their focus-"

Phantom made the first strike, lashing out with a whip of fire. She dropped her physical state in just the nick of time, allowing the intense heat to bypass her and catch the heavy curtain on fire instead. Huffing, she dodged another attempt, diving across the stage.

"You steal powers that aren't yours!" she went on. "You try to make yourself stronger so that they have to acknowledge you!"

"Shut up, you ignorant girl!" he spat. He used his unnatural speed to appear before her and throw her to the ground.

"I'm not ignorant-I know exactly what it feels like!" she shouted back. The floor splintered as he pushed her harder. The fire was spreading to the other curtains that surrounded the stage as well as the backdrop, it was all the perfect tinder. She struggled under his grip but he kept her pinned, breathing hard.

"You want them to love you for just who you are-but how could they? They can't even see us!" she gasped. "We fade into the background! We're invisible-all the time! We can't help it!"

There was a loud crack as a beam overhead broke loose and fell, giving Sammy the opportunity to wrestle free and put some distance between herself and Phantom. His eyes were glowing red, fangs bared and he appeared more demonic than before with the ever growing fire surrounding them.

"You've taken your powers and twisted them into something so horribly dark, you can never come back from it!" she shouted. "How is one more heart going to fix it?!"

The smoke was starting to thicken and rise as Phantom released a malicious laugh. His voice traveled over the crackling flames, resounding in her head.

"You think I only want your one heart?" he cackled. "You stupid girl. _I will consume every heart-_!"

Out of the smoke, a fist flew through the air and struck Phantom directly in the face. He crumpled to the ground due the force and surprise. It took an extra moment for the person's body to catch up with his extended arm and he rotated his shoulder when hopped onto the stage as well.

"Figured that was your stupid laugh," snarked Lash. "Talk about obnoxious. I could find you in the dark, man."

"Lash!" gasped Sammy in surprise. Blue eyes were wide as she regarded the Hero. She could see the stripes of his sleeves and the vague outline of his form. The smoke was getting really bad.

"Sammy," he called. He seemed to have a lock on her voice as he hurried her way. She choked on her own breath as she caught the flicker of movement.

"_Behind you_!"

The Hero had just turned in time to see the flash of Phantom's fanged smile. The claws slipped effortlessly into his chest, grasping his heart tightly. Lash openly gagged, stunned by the unnatural invasion. Breath was impossible as he gaped at the monster. He tried to grab at the arm that protruded from his chest but there was nothing for him to grab ahold of, he was intangible. Phantom increased his grip, enjoying the sound of the Hero's whimper.

"What do you think, Samantha? Should I take his as well?" he asked. "I don't know how such a useless power would be helpful, but it's better to have more than less, I suppose."

Sammy moved forward, her gaze locked on Lash's back. Rising onto her tiptoes, she willed herself to lose her physical state once more. Just like she did on the the day of the Hero/Sidekick showcase, she phased through Lash and directed Phantom's hand so that it held her widly beating heart instead. Her power forced the Hero away and the boy fell to the floor, released.

"How noble of you," sneered Phantom. "If you think he's safe once I'm finished with you-"

"Everyone's going to be safe."

Her eyes stung from the smoke, her skin was blistering from the nearby flames that licked at them and it was becoming difficult to breathe, but it didn't matter. There was something welling up inside of her. Power that seemed to come from her very core, filling her with a white hot heat. She could feel the energy trying to push itself out of every available pore, radiating from her entire being. She dug her nails into Phantom's arm and kept it steady. He could feel the heat and see the light glowing from within her, as if she was constructed from star light. Phantom tried to rip his hand free but he couldn't break her grip. His skin was starting to hiss, the light carrying over to him through the contact he had with her heart.

"What is this? Release me!" he demanded. Even with his superior strength, he couldn't free himself from her hold. The light continued to contaminate the villain, harsh brightness cracking his skin as it traveled up his arm and to the rest of his body. The energy was literally emitting from the girl, moving her hair and dress with its strength.

"_My_ power," she said, "not yours."

"Let go!" he shouted, voice rising as the power continued to burn him.

"Let's see my true potential then, Phantom."

As soon as the words left her lips, the light flared to an unimaginable brightness and Phantom's scream rang out in the burning theater. Lash had to cover his eyes and he screamed for the girl, his Sidekick, his Sammy.

"_Sammy!_"

* * *

**REVIEW! Wow, sorry for the long wait, guys! School, other writing, and all the usual stuff. Don't worry, I haven't forgotten Sammy and Lash! Though the story is almost over (sobs) so if there is anything you want to see before the end, let me know! Your thoughts would be loved as always!**

**Hope you enjoyed!**


	20. Chapter 20

_**Invisible Girl**_

**Chapter Twenty**

"I think that's everyone!" said Lauren, hurrying up to Speed. They had managed to empty out the theater with their false fire alarm. The pair looked around for their friends, unsuccessful in spotting them in the crowd of people. There was a distant wail of a fire truck drawing near.

"Do you see them?" she asked. The Hero shook his head. The only other Hero he could spot was Warren Peace and he was making sure all of the backstage dancers and younger students were accounted for and safe.

"No sign of Jason or Sammy," muttered Lauren, grey eyes looking back up at the speed demon. She turned sharply around, making her skirt twirl out. There was a fire exit not too far off, if she remembered correctly. She did locate the red door as well as black smoke rolling out of the opened window. Her breath caught in her throat as her stomach clenched in surprising fear. Fire really was blooming in the lovely Maxville theater, tendrils of smoke rising up into the twilight sky.

"Oh my god, David! There _is _a fire!" she gasped, grabbing his arm. Speed cursed loudly. This meant that Phantom was really doing a number against Lash and Sammy.

"I've got to go back in," he told her.

"What? Are you crazy? The fire department's almost here, they'll take care of it!" reasoned Lauren. He shook his head.

"They're too slow." With that said, he took off into the building, nothing more than a blur. The breeze he caused ruffled her bangs as she stared wide eyed after him.

"Wow..."

* * *

The blinding light soon faded and the thick black smoke was brought back into focus as the two bodies dropped to the ground simultaneously.

"Sammy!" coughed Lash. He could barely see and the fire was only growing higher with each passing second. He was flat against the stage floor as he army crawled toward where he thought his Sidekick landed. Using his super power, he sent his arm further ahead as he kept his head down to try and draw a good enough breath. The air was thick with smoke and he couldn't properly inhale. His hand came in contact with a body to his relief and managed to wrap around their waist. Judging by the size, he knew it was Sammy and he quickly retracted his arm, bringing the girl with it.

"Lash!" came the voice of his best friend. He could vaguely hear the sound of his running feet dashing about the theater.

"Speed!" he shouted back, voice cracking. Determined, he started to crawl toward the edge of the stage, Sammy's body in tow. His chest was still throbbing painfully after Phantom almost ripped out his heart and he was becoming very light headed. The sound of running feet neared and Lash threw his free arm out far so to catch his friend in a type of clothes line. Ignoring the pain of impact, Speed did hit the arm and quickly grabbed him, following it to the source. Scrabbling for his two super-powered teammates, he was able to find them and yank them onto the main floor, the girl between the boys.

"How do we get out?" shouted Lash. The theater was succumbing the fire's intensity, building structures crumbling. One of the large technical lights fell from the balcony and crashed into the chairs, making them jump. The black smoke made them blind and breathing was a constant battle while the structure from all around started to break away, especially the stage that seemed to crumble faster and faster.

Sammy moved on her own and dug her nails into their shoulders, power flaring once more. They could feel the cold of her nature wash over them and they understood what needed to be done. Speed gripped his teammates tightly and Lash lassoed his free arm around to connect the three man team. Trusting the girl, the heavier Hero threw himself into his super speed and charged forward. They phased through fallen debris, once velvet chairs, fire and finally, they ran straight through the theater's brick wall.

Surprised by the sudden change in atmosphere, the three released each other and fell to the ground ungracefully. Coughing, hacking, and wheezing, Lash was barely able to open his stinging eyes as he took his team into account. Speed was close by on all fours trying to clear his lungs and Sammy had staggered a few feet away, out of his natural reach.

"Sa-" His throat protested violently as he was victim to another coughing fit, unable to draw a proper breath as he dropped to the ground again, limbs shaking.

There was commotion as the firefighters and medics surrounded them, separating the Triad. He tried to resist their hands but he wasn't strong enough, dizzy from the lack of air. A mask was pulled over his mouth and nose, supplying him with clean oxygen so to clear out the smoke he inhaled. There was shouting and multiple people talking at once, but they fell on deaf ears. The only sound Lash could distinctly hear was his own heavy breathing against the mask, fogging the surface with each puff of air. He looked to the side to see Lauren next to Speed as the professionals hooked him to oxygen as well. Turning to the other side, his pulse jumped when he couldn't see the blonde girl anymore.

"Whoa, keep still, buddy," instructed a medic, grabbing his shoulders and pushing him gently, but firmly, to the ground so that he was laying flat on his back again. The striped boy struggled against the hold in a pathetic attempt. His body was so drained from the Phantom encounter and the smoke of the fire, it wasn't any effort to keep him pinned.

"No-" he wheezed, "-no-Sam-my-" His protest was thwarted by a rough cough and a stretcher was brought over and the small team lifted him onto it without any difficulty, securing him. He tried to get himself free, but he didn't have the energy or the coordination for it. He was moved into the ambulance and his heart pounded when he saw Sammy's body right beside him.

The doors closed as the ambulance released its sirens and took off toward the hospital. Lash still couldn't sort his senses out properly and the world continued to be strangely mute as he stared at his Sidekick. Her entire figure was singed, including the ends of her hair, and her dress was ruined. He noticed that her body was still giving off the strange glow that had blinded him during her stand off with Phantom, the light encompassing her hands and crawling up her arms.

"Sammy..." he finally managed. She didn't answer him, her own eyes closed and the oxygen mask covered her mouth and nose as well. The medic was checking her vitals with increasing urgency, face paling.

"Step on it! I'm losing her!" he shouted at the driver and the vehicle sped up in response.

Slowly, Lash was able to coordinate his hand to reach out and take her damaged one in his own, both of their skin was darkened with the fire's residue. His fingers slipped into their familiar place between her own, giving a reassuring squeeze.

"Sammy..." he croaked, trying to speak up. His throat felt tight, eyes still stinging. "C'mon...stay with me...Sammy..."

There was a twitch. Then her hand gently returned the grip.

"Good work, keep it up!" encouraged the medic. "Hang in there!"

She had to hang on...she had to...

* * *

_She has to hang on..._mused Lash as he stared out the window. A week had already passed since the Phantom incident at the theater and Sammy was still in the hospital. They were separated upon arrival and he wasn't allowed to see her afterward. After being checked by the (Hero) doctor he was cleared after staying the night. He insisted on seeing his Sidekick but he wasn't granted access. Besides the medical professionals, her family were the only vistors permitted into her room. He argued with the doctor until he was red in the face, stating his status as Hero and how she was his Sidekick, therefore he had the right to see her. The doctor wouldn't budge and Sammy wasn't conscious to grant him permission.

So he was banished to spend quality time in the visitor's chair in the hallway. He was thankful for his unnatural flexibility because he spent hours in that uncomfortable chair, dozing off and snoring until he was kicked out. Sammy's mom stopped by to update him on the girl's progress when she had news to give him. She was a very kind woman, but clearly worn down from the event and Lash felt terrible for her. He couldn't imagine if the roles were reversed and his mom was ashy pale and constantly fretting with Sammy waiting in the visitor's chair for extended periods of time. It was so stressful and he just wanted to shout in frustration. He couldn't see her, there wasn't any news, he couldn't focus on school work, the doctors didn't know how she managed to go supernova against Phantom, and dammit, _he couldn't see her_. All he did was worry about her. He worried at the hospital, at school, and at home. He could barely sleep, just staring up at his ceiling wondering when she was going to wake up. If she would wake up.

The thought of her never waking up terrified him.

"Jason!"

Lash perked up at the sound of Mrs. Winchester calling for him. He had just finished school and had hardly stepped into the hospital building. The mother smiled widely and gave a wave and he used his increased stride to meet her as quickly as he could.

"What is it? Did something happen?" he asked, confused as to if he should be worried or excited.

"Yes," she said breathlessly. "Yes, she woke up this morning!"

"Can I see her?" he asked, voice cracking. The woman nodded, her gaze glassy from happy tears.

Heart pounding, Lash rushed to the door that had mocked him all week and grasped the handle, pausing for a brief moment. Taking a deep breath, he turned his hand and stepped inside.

The white was an annoyingly present color in a hospital and the room was the same. White walls, pale curtains and opaque blankets on the bed. His pulse stuttered when he saw that the bed was empty, looking quickly around.

"Hey mom, any chance you brought shoes?" came her voice.

He spotted her bending over an overnight bag that was sitting on a chair, shifting through its contents. She was dressed in jeans and a form fitting tanktop, her hoodie draped over the back of the chair. Standing up straight, her hands rested on her hips as she looked to each side for the pair of shoes. She turned around, not entirely looking up. Lash could see the changes the fire bestowed her. Her white blonde hair had to be cut from the damage and was now above her shoulders, very short on her left side, making the style asymmetrical. Apart from the hair, he could immediately see her hands. They were covered in pearly white fissures that made their way up her arms, as if something was trying explode forth and only managed to crack her surface.

"Sammy."

She froze at his voice and then her short hair flew as she looked up at him in complete surprise, a gasp escaping her. Her naturally fair skin fell another shade lighter just before she vanished from sight.

"Sammy? What're you doing?" he asked, completely taken aback. Why would she disappear? Did she not understand that he wanted to see her?

"D-don't..." she stammered, her voice barely above a whisper. "Please...don't-don't look at me..."

"Well that's easy since you're invisible," he couldn't help but snark.

Sammy couldn't draw a deep breath as she looked up at her Hero, his brown eyes glancing from side to side in order to try and catch sight of her. Her heart raced within her chest at the thought of picturing his reaction to her altered appearance. The fire had ruined her hair and it was cut so very short in a style well out of her comfort zone. Then her hands were terribly scarred from the final struggle with Phantom.

Honestly, she didn't understand what had happened and the doctors didn't know either. It was something in the heat of the moment and she pulled power from somewhere deep inside, over reaching her normal abilities. Maybe it was because she and Phantom were connected at that moment, each hand grasping a heart while their powers roared. A collision of powers with the corrupted original source and the side project that was kept pure. She didn't know, it was all guess work and speculation.

She was being vain about how she looked, she knew that but she couldn't help it. She didn't look like herself, she looked strange, wrong-

Her mental berating was interrupted when Lash reached out and managed to catch her waist. Surprised by being caught while invisible, she flickered back into focus, earning his full attention.

"There you are," he huffed. She closed her eyes tightly.

"Don't-" Her protest was quieted by the material of his shirt as he pulled her to him in a crushing embrace. It took her a moment to react to the gesture, gripping the back of his shirt as she hugged him back. A sniff could be heard before she buried her face in his chest, doing her best to keep quiet. She was being childish, crying over her looks when she could've been killed or her Hero could've had his heart ripped out. She should be thankful. Guilt slammed into her like a two ton truck as her breath caught on tears.

"Dammit, Sammy," swore Lash softly. "Do you not get how badly I want to see you?"

"I'm sorry," she managed, holding onto him tightly. "I'm so sorry-you could've been hurt-or even-"

His hand slipped behind her neck as he bent down to kiss her, quieting her apologies efficiently. He had to feel her under his touch. After so long of being completely useless due to her own power and Phantom, he had to make sure she was really there with him. Her white blonde hair tangled in his fingers, her waist under his wide palm until it slipped to her back and brought her closer to his body. She had to be real. Her voice, her touch, it just had to be really her.

"Jason..." she breathed when they finally parted for air. Hearing her say his name made his nerves light up again and he kissed her once more, hand moving from her hair to cradle her cheek. When he became light headed, he parted for a good moment, touching his forehead to hers as their breaths mixed.

"Dammit, Sammy..."

"You've said that already," she teased with a shaky laugh. Her humor was short lived as her smile faded the longer she looked at her Hero. "But I really am sorry, you know. I didn't know it was going to be this huge ordeal. I thought if I went with him, he'd leave everyone alone-"

"Shut. Up."

Blue eyes closed as she did as she was asked and kept her silence. She dared to peek when Lash gave a hard sigh, not stepping back as his thumb brushed her cheek before settling in a curve around the back of her neck.

"Stop apologizing. Right now, just stop it," he instructed. "No one's blaming you for Phantom's stunt. It's his fault, not yours. You were doing your best, and hell, you're the one who beat him! So what're you saying "sorry" for?"

"But so many people could've been hurt-and he was going to rip our your _heart_, Jason!" she explained, voice cracking as her grip tightened on his shirt, their bodies still close. "And I will not stop being sorry, because I should've stopped him. You're my Hero and I couldn't-I couldn't protect you from him..."

"Sammy, you're _my_ Hero."

Beyond stunned, she couldn't find words as she stared up at the brown eyed boy. She tried to speak but no words would come to mind. Lash huffed as a flush dared to surface, coloring the tops of his cheeks.

"You heard me, you're my Hero, blondie. You stopped being just my Sidekick a long time ago."

He started to worry when he watched her bright blue eyes shine with unshed tears and her chest started to heave with shortened breaths. She covered her face with her scarred hands as the tears fell. Confused, he pulled her to him again, looping his arms around her easily while tucking her head under his chin.

"Aw, c'mon, blondie. Bad asses don't cry," he teased. He smirked when he felt her give a giggle. She leaned back so to look back up the lanky Hero, giving a smile as she reached up and brought him to her, initiating the kiss.

* * *

**REVIEW! There we have it, all the aftermath of the Phantom incident! Sammy's new look is also scribbled on my DA if anyone wants to check out the concept art for that.**

**Potentially one more chapter folks! I also have a intimate/make out scene with Sammy x Lash that I wrote up but I couldn't properly fit it into the storyline, so if anyone wants to read, maybe I can post it as a bonus chapter? If you'd like to read it, let me know!**

**We're almost there, guys! So close! Your thoughts would be lovely as always!**

**Hope you enjoyed!**


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